Forever Night
by mutantbat
Summary: Angel Silverwing, on the search for her brother, rescues a Vampryum named Eric. She agrees to help him get home, but the two are swept into a mission to stop Goth and new foe by the name of Luxor from bringing back Cama Zotz. can they do it?
1. Angel

Angel roosted on the branch of an oak tree to rest her sore wings. She'd been flying for about eight hours in the piercing cold. She shivered. Winter was beginning to settle in, and this was only the beginning, Angel looked at her surroundings. Tall naked trees that once were thick and luscious with leaves, a clouded night sky above her head with no room for the stars to shine through, and a light dusting of snow that covered the ground that soon wouldn't be visible until spring.

A chorus of voices suddenly caught the Silverwing's attention. Her tall ears swiveled to lock onto the voices. Angel calculated that the voices were coming from about 500 wingbeats south from where she was roosting. She took flight.

The closer she got to the voices the clearer they became, she still couldn't understand what they were saying but she could now tell they were bat voices.

A few minutes later Angel burst into a clearing and stared at where the voices were coming from.

A glass, human building.

Angel roosted once again on a nearby tree and gazed at the building in awe. She had heard the stories from other colonies about these kinds of buildings. The lured you with song and once you entered you were trapped until the humans took you. The grimaced at what had happened to the bats before her; chained with disks, put in a human flying machine than taken south to the jungle only to be used as weapons for more useless violence.

Angel shook her head in disgust. _She _would not be tricked.

Angel was just about to take flight when she heard the low rumble of another human machine. She looked below her. There was a large machine on wheels, with humans scurrying too and fro in and out from behind it. She saw some go inside the building while others came out, but with cages. Inside the cages were various small animals.

_What in the world are they up to?_ Angel thought. Without thinking she flew down and hid in the corner of the wall, hoping the humans hadn't spotted her. When she was sure it was safe, she quickly scurried across the wall and waited beside the door for a human to open it. Quicker than she had expected a human opened the door and she flew inside, nearly tearing off her wing.

Once again, Angel crawled allow the dark spots of the wall almost blinded by all the light in the building. Careful not to make too much noise, she continued crawling until she spotted where all the humans were getting their cages. The door to the other room was wide open, and inside she saw so many cages she stopped counting.

_So this is where they're coming from. _With a sign she turned to leave the room, but the last human to leave had shut the door!

Angel panicked. Now she spread her wings and flew crazily around looking for a way out. An air vent, a window, a crack something!

"How did that Silverwing get out?" screeched a she owl from below her.

"Tell us how you got out!" screeched another.

The air filled with more and more screeches of owls and other birds. They banged their cages and desperately bit and scratched at the metal bars.

Angel rested flat on the cold metal table, her heart pounded in her ears. The she owl from behind her screeched, "How did you get out?" Angel flipped onto her back, "I was never in a cage! I-I just wanted to see-"

"You liar! Tell me the way out!" The owl pounded on the cage knocking it from side to side, and shrieking in mayhem. Angel flew up from the table, and landed on another one across from it, her back pressing against the cage behind her. The owl continued to knock the cage around until it toppled over and the owl burst free.

The she owl turned its large moon shaped eyes on Angel, she launched in for attack.

Before Angel could even flinch, something in the cage behind her grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face it. All the colour drained from Angel's face the second she gazed at his beastlike snout, three foot wingspan, and flared nose.

DUN DUN DUNNN….. cliffhanger!!


	2. Eric

ERIC

(note: the descriptions I'm using are from the TV show)

His dull grey eyes seemed to almost brand themselves into Angel's flesh and yet… She didn't feel frightened. Her heart slowed down to its normal rhythm as she gazed upon the huge bat. He was very young, possible half a year like her. Though, he was still almost three times as big. Atop his skull was a messy black mohawk that blended with his greyish fur. His wings, were a dark shade of purple and about (Angel had guess) three feet long, with huge shoulders and muscular arms to power them. As she gazed down at his left arm she noticed a thick black band. _He must've been taken away from the jungle like those other cannibals _she thought.

"Hey. My face is up here senorita."

Angel's dark blue eyes moved up to the Vampryum's face instantly. His voice was disturbingly soothing; calm in his tone and a light accent she'd never heard before. He brushed some of her short, purplish hair from her eyes. "What kind of bat are you?" Angel gulped, "I-I'm a Silverwing." She gingerly moved the cannibal's claws from her shoulders and spread her wings to reveal her blue and silver fur. The cannibal grunted. He looked up for a moment and his eyes went wide, "You'd better move." Angel barely had time to duck before the owl clipped her back with its huge talons, and slid across the table. The surface was so slippery it couldn't hold on and fell off, smacking its head against the tile floor and going unconscious.

Angel got up from the table and breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that you're not dead, you can help me out of here," the cannibal said calmly. Angel looked back into his cage, "Why on earth would I help you get out?" she shouted. "The second I let you go, you're probably going to kill me!"

The Vampryum rubbed his temples, "Aye, listen to me. See those other owls over there? They're going to smash out of their cages any minute now."

Angel turned, seeing the owls all shaking their cages trying to get them off the tables.

"I'm your only shot at getting out of here."

"Excuse me?"

"Are you brain dead?" The Vampryum was starting to get frustrated. "Look, you get me out of this cage, I'll fight the owls and we're both home free." Angel bit her lip as he gazed continued to turn from the Vampryum to the owls.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" she asked.

"You don't."

Suddenly 3 owls fell off the table and smashed onto the floor, breaking their cages open. "Ok, ok! Hold onto one of bars." The Vampryum did what he was told as Angel, with great effort, tried to push him off the table. "A little help please?"

The Vampryum rolled his eyes and helped her push. "Put your back into it weakling!"

"Oh shut up!" The cage teetered over the edge of the metal table and fell with a loud crash. "Are you ok?" Angel asked looking over the side. The Vampryum was suddenly behind her, "Just peachy."

"Fly!" Angel and the Vampryum took of together looking for a way out. A male great horned owl was about to snatch her up until the Vampryum clamped his jaws around its leg and pulled it down to the ground. Angel clung to the door and looked out the small window smiling as she saw a human coming. "Hey! Can you hold them off for about fifty seconds?" she asked the Vampryum. He tossed yet another owl to the floor and looked back at Angel, "No problem."

Angel counted down the seconds until the human finally reached the handle.

"Get ready to fly as fast as you can!" she shouted moving away from the door.

The human opened the door wide and hollered in surprise when it saw the chaos. Angel and the Vampryum flew right passed its face, pumping their wings as hard as they could. Within a few seconds they were out of the building and into the freezing night air.

"We did it!" Angel cheered.

"I do believe you mean _I _did it," the Vampryum replied.

"Hey! Who was the one who got you out of there?"

"Who was the one that saved your sorry ass?"

Angel pinned her ears back in anger, "Who do you think you are?"

The Vampyrum smiled, bearing his two rows of sharp teeth, "Eric."


	3. The deal

THE DEAL

The two flew for about an hour without saying much. They had to get away from the human building as quickly as possible; the humans would be after Eric. It was Angel who had found a place for them to roost. It was an abandoned chipmunk nest inside a blue pine. Eric roosted near the entrance and shivered. They'd been flying so quickly he hadn't noticed how cold it was here. "Damn it! Why is it so cold?" he asked, his teeth chattering.

Angel tightened her wigs against her body to keep the wind out. "It's winter." Eric blinked, "Winter? What's that?" Angel sighed and rubbed her temples, "It's a part of the four seasons. You know; summer, fall, spring…winter?" Eric looked at her like she had just grown a second head.

"… You don't have winter where you're from do you?"

Eric shook his head. Angel rolled her eyes, "Well basically it gets colder. Things get covered in ice, snow…" when she saw Eric raise his eyebrow she just grunted. "Never mind".

The Vampryum shivered again and clenched his teeth, "Northern wasteland." He turned back to Angel, "For a male you're pretty weak." This caught Angel's attention instantly, "Excuse me?"

"I said-"

"No, no. What was the second thing you said?" Angel interrupted. Eric blinked, "Male?"

"Yes! Did you just say I'm male?"

"Well yes. You are a male, aren't you?" Angel flattened her ears back and barred her teeth in anger. "Look-again."

Eric starred, taken back by the ferocity of her expression he looked at her up and down. His eyes widened, "Hey….wait a second…you're a girl?"

"What else would I be!"

Eric's eyes widened and a small grin appeared on his face, "Man…you're ugly." Angel's face went blank the second those words left his mouth. "However…it is a bit of luck," Eric continued, still grinning. "Touch me, and you'll never be able to fly again," Angel snarled.

Eric rose his hands up in defense, "Easy senorita, I was only joking. Besides…I can do allot better." Angel was about to slap him when he grabbed her wrist. "Still, I have to admit. The sprit of Zotz is in you." Angel pulled her arm back and shot him a death stare, "Look, just go back to wherever the hell you came from."

"I can't," Eric replied instantly.

"Why not?" Eric poked his head out the hole and flicked his chin up towards the sky, "I cannot read your stars."

Angel blinked, "What do you mean? Aren't all stars the same?" Eric shook his head, "The constellations in the south are different…" he trailed off for a moment. "Can you understand these stars?" Angel nodded. "Then…you can help me get back to the jungle."

"Hell no!" Angel shouted, "After what you just said to me? Forget it!" Eric sighed, "What if we make a deal? You help me get back to the jungle…and I'll give you anything your heart desires." Angel laughed so hard tears came to her eyes, "Yeah right! You expect me to believe that?"

Eric growled, "My cousin is the King of the Vampryum Spectrum! I'll see to it that he rewards you."

"Yeah. Reward me by sticking my head on a pike, and eating my heart," Angel grunted. "Look, I don't want to hang around a wimp like you. Can't you see I'm desperate?" Eric was beginning to sound like a lost newborn. Angel sighed and looked at him carefully, "You have to promise me two things."

"Fine, and what are they?" Eric asked.

"One, you have to protect me."

"Done."

"Two, you have to give me your word you, or any other Vampryum won't eat me."

"Of course."

Angel narrowed her eyes, "I don't trust you."

"I give you my word," Eric said. "I never go back on my word. I have pride and honor."

"What honor?" Angel replied fiercely, "you're cannibals, a bunch of monsters!" Eric barred his teeth and snarled, "I am no cannibal!" Angel snorted "Gee, was that supposed to scare me?"

"Are you going to help me, or just roost here and be a pain in the ass?"

"Fine," Angel replied, "we have a deal."


	4. Getting to know you

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Eric rustled out of his slumber. He turned to his left to see the Silverwing who had saved his life the night before. She slept so soundly, but he knew they had to get moving before the cold really set in. Eric gently nudged her with his muzzle, "Psst, wake up."

"Five more minutes mom…" Angel muttered, covering her head with her wings. Eric rolled his eyes and poked her in the ribs, "Wake up transvestite!" Angel opened her right eye and glared at Eric, "I heard that."

"Good," Eric replied, "now get up and let's go." The Silverwing spread her wings and dropped down from her roost, landing gracefully on the floor of the tree. Yawning she looked back up at the larger bat, "You know….you never asked what my name was."

"You think I give a damn?" Eric replied with a snort. Angel sighed, "I didn't think so. It's Angel by the way."

"Whatever." Eric dropped down from his roost and flew out the hole with Angel tagging along behind him.

Eric tore a hunk of meat off the sparrow he'd just caught and chewed it slowly. He watched the little northerner as she made an attempt to catch a puny moth, and failed. _Is this what northern bats eat? _Eric thought. He sighed and swallowed the meat he'd been chewing on. When Angel had finally caught the moth she'd been chasing for the past ten minutes, she roosted beside the Vampryum. "How exactly did you end up in the human building?" she asked and she began chewing on her moth.

Eric wiped the blood off his lips, "I was out hunting with a few friends of mine." Angel waited anxiously but he didn't continue. "And?"

"And what?" Eric asked, becoming irritated. "Well what happened?" Angel replied after swallowing her moth.

"What else is there to say? I wasn't paying attention and I hit a net, does that answer your question?"

"Yes but you didn't have to be so rude about it," Angel said angrily.

"Who's being rude?"

Angel sighed and put a claw to her forehead, "Look let's just drop the subject." The two said nothing for about five minutes. Until Angel spoke up again, "Care to tell me anything about your past?"

"No," Eric replied bluntly.

"Why? Do you have something to hide?" Angel said jokingly. "Don't you ever shut up?" Eric grunted. Angel frowned, "I just wanted to know you a little better. You know, since we're traveling and all."

"Look. Just lead the way, keep your mouth shut, and we'll get along fine," Eric said. Angel narrowed her eyes, "Fine."

After they'd both finished eating, they once again set a course for the south. Angel was already starting to have regrets and about rescuing him. _Why did I agree to help him? _She thought angrily. _What the hell was I thinking? This is just a big waste of time…I'm supposed to be looking for…_she sighed.

"Why aren't you with your colony?"

Angel blinked and gazed at the Vampryum, "Huh?"

"I said, why aren't you with your colony?" Eric asked again. "Oh…" Angel replied, "wait. Why are you suddenly interested in talking to me?"

Eric shrugged, "The silence was starting to get on my nerves I guess." Angel rolled her eyes. "Well," she said, "first of all, I wasn't banished if that's what you're thinking."

"Never came to mind senorita."

"My older brother…he went missing about a week ago. So I left to go find him, nobody was willing to help me so that's why I was alone."

Eric said nothing, but by the look on his face, Angel could tell he did take some pity on her. "What is your brother's name?"

Angel smiled dully, "Fayt."

(Note: Fayt, is pronounced Fate)

A few hours passed, and the smell of salt water was strong in the air. They were coming to the coastline. Eric yawned, "Is there any place for us to roost?" Angel sent out a few pulses of sound and waited for a response. Bingo, an old beach house on the dock. "Right this way," Angel angled her wings and flew down towards the beach house.

Eric wrinkled his nose in disgust when they flew in through the broken window. The beach house had a pungent odor of raw fish and salt. Angel shuddered, "Well…we'll only be here for tonight. Can you live with the smell for a few hours?"

"I'll try," Eric grunted. Angel could tell he wasn't exactly impressed with the roosting conditions but oh well. "Hey Eric, there's a rafter here that doesn't look too flimsy." Angel roosted up on the ceiling as Eric continued to hover. "What's wrong?" she asked. Eric looked around, "I honestly don't think this place is safe to roost." Angel grunted, "You just don't want to roost here because of the smell."

"That's not it," Eric replied looking intently at the rafter Angel was roosting on. Small cracks started to form all around it. "Ummm…"

"Something wrong?" Angel asked. Chunks of wood began to snap apart, "Get off of there now!" Eric shouted. Angel looked at the cracks forming, but before she could bolt, the rafter completely gave way and tumbled down with it through the floor.

Eric took off like lightning into the hole after her. He pumped his wings as hard as he could, desperate to try and get to her first. Angel tried to open her wings but the chunks of wood continued to fall on her back. Any second now she would hit the water, and be crushed. Just before she thought her world would go black, she heard.

"Angel!" In an instant, Eric used all his strength to push her and himself out of the way of the rafter as it hit the water.

Angel was underwater.

She sat up, taking deep breaths and coughing the salty brine from her lungs. She looked around her, "Eric?" The larger bat was nowhere to be found, her wings grazed something furry beside her. "Eric?" Angel flipped the larger bat onto his back. He wasn't breathing. "Eric! Eric wake up!" Angel shouted, but Eric didn't move a muscle.

Angel shook his shoulders and patted her cheek, "Eric…Oh Nocterna, let him be ok." She couldn't believe what she was saying, she actually cared that he wasn't breathing. Angel shook the Vampryum's shoulders again, but he didn't move. "Eric…please don't be dead…please."

Suddenly Eric eyes shot open and he sat up laughing his head off. Angel nearly had a heart attack when he sat up.

"You actually thought I was dead!" Eric laughed, "You're so stupid! You fell for it!" Angel's jaw dropped and suddenly she thought she would explode. "You jerk! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Angel started slapping Eric as hard as she could but he continued to laugh. "Easy there. Should you really be doing that to someone who saved you?"

Angel grunted and dragged herself up to a dry patch of sand.

"Well?"

The Silverwing put her back up against one of the wooden support poles and sighed, "Thanks."

Eric dragged himself up and sat down beside her, "You could've been killed."

"I know…" Angel looked up at the larger bat, "Seriously, thank you for saving my life." Eric gave her a small smile and closed his eyes.

"Wait…you said my name before you saved me," Angel realized.

"So?"

"You haven't said my name before." Eric grunted, "Now's a good of a time as any to start."

Angel smiled and looked up at the hole in the dock, "I really don't want to go back up there."

"Me either," Eric replied nodding. "Let's just stay down here for now."

"Sure," Angel said. She let her head drop onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. Eric blushed slightly, "What're you doing?" Angel yawned, "Sorry…do you mind if I just leave my head here?"

Eric rolled his eyes, "Fine, just don't drool on me."


	5. Andromeda

ANDROMEDA

The smoke had not cleared the night air as of yet. The ones who had escaped the pyramid became a rescue team. Searching for any survivors under all the rumble. Eric's face was covered in blood, dirt, sweat and tears. He should've been staying with the medical bats but he didn't care. His tiny wings sang with pain as he flew over to the debris. He hit the ground knees first, tears blurring his vision, and began digging.

One of the medical bats, an old male by whose name he couldn't recall flew down beside him. "You're in terrible shape boy! You shouldn't be digging." Eric pushed the older bat away and continued digging, "I don't care!" he screamed. One of rocks fell on top of Eric's hand, cutting hit and leaving a huge gash. More tears streamed down his cheeks from the pain, but he wouldn't stop looking.

"You can take my home…you can take my own life, but give her back…she's my mother!"

"Eric…Eric!"

Suddenly Eric was back in the real world. He looked up to see Angel standing in front of him, looking at him worriedly. "Eric, are you alright?" she asked. The Vampryum wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded, "Yeah…" he narrowed his eyes suddenly, "Not that it's any ofyour damn business."

Angel frowned, "I was just worried. You were thrashing around," she sighed, "Sorry for caring."

Eric just grunted and stood up, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are we going?" Eric asked impatiently. "Oh right," Angel replied as she spread her wings.

"Oh, by the way," Eric said, "You snore like a howler monkey underwater."

"Gee thanks."

"How the hell can you understand these stars? The constellations make no sense!" Eric shouted in frustration. Angel sighed, "Look, do you want to learn them, or not?"

"Yes!" Eric ground his teeth at the question. He didn't like the fact that this puny northerner, knew something he didn't.

When they'd finally crossed the ocean, Eric and Angel had decided to rest in the forest. Angel was trying to make an attempt to helping Eric understand the stars, but so far it wasn't going well.

Eric's stomach growled loudly, "I'm hungry,"

"Then go hunt!" Angel growled, "I'm not stopping you."

Eric just flew off.

Eric snapped the rat's neck in between his jaws. After hearing the satisfying crack, he tore into it. _That Angel is such a pain _Eric thought angrily. _Non-stop talking, and budding into my personal life. _The Vampryum's ears shot up instantly when he heard a whimpering sound. He quickly finished eating his rat, and listened carefully for the sound. The whimpering was coming from a log just to the left of him. Eric quietly flew down to the log and poked his head inside.

Roosting on the other end of the log, was a practically newborn Brightwing. "Hey!" Eric called after the tiny Brightwing.

The Brightwing turned his way, its eyes widened, and it quickly flew from the log screaming at the top of its lungs. Eric raised an eyebrow in confusion, and suddenly remembered he hadn't wiped the blood from his mouth! _Shit. _

Eric took after the small Brightwing. "I'm not going to hurt you! Come back!" He shouted. The Brightwing didn't listen and continued to flap its tiny wings as hard as it could. Within a few moments, Eric was in front of it. It was a male. The boy screamed once again and flew in Angel's direction.

"Help me!" the boy cried out. Angel swiveled her head around and blinked, as the boy slammed into her and buried himself in her fur. "Don't let him hurt me!"

Eric roosted beside Angel as she gave him a strange look, "What's going on?" she asked. "I didn't do a damn thing!" Eric protested. Angel patted the small Brightwing on the head, "Calm down, he won't hurt you." The Brightwing looked up at Angel. His bright blue eyes were blurred by tears, and his thick blond hair was spiked out wildly.

"Y-You sure?" The Brightwing asked. Angel nodded.

Eric brought back a thick beetle as a peace offering to the Brightwing. The boy was still clinging to Angel's side, but took the beetle anyways. "Thank-you," he said as he gobbled it down. "You haven't eaten in awhile have you?" Angel asked. The Brightwing shook his head, "I'm not the greatest hunter."

Something flashed on the Brightwing's right forearm, and he quickly covered it. "What was that?" Eric asked.

"N-Nothing."

Eric yanked the Brightwing's arm and saw the silver band glimmer in the moonlight. "Well, well. Looks like you have a band."

The Brightwing pulled his arm back, "Shut-up!" Tears began to stream down his face again. Angel raised an eyebrow, "Why're you so upset about the band?" The Brightwing sniffled, "It's because…the bands are evil."

Angel and Eric both looked at each other, "What?"

"You should know! The humans tag us, put us in their fake forests, and use us as weapons," The Brightwing cried.

Angel understood, "So, you were banished because of the band." The Brightwing nodded. "Just because you're banded, doesn't mean that'll happen to you," Angel said, patting his head.

"They had no right to banish you," Eric growled. "It doesn't matter," the Brightwing said, sighing. "I have no home now…" Angel looked up at Eric, and he immediately said, "No! We're not talking him with us!"

"Eric he has no one else!"

"He'll slow us down!"

"He's all alone!"

The two bickered like this for a few minutes until the Brightwing muttered, "I have a name you know."

Eric and Angel both looked at the boy, "And that would be?" Eric asked.

"Andromeda," The Brightwing said, smiling dully. "My parents called me Andie for short."

"Well Andie," Angel began smiling, "You're coming with us."

"What!" Eric shouted. "Really?" Andromeda said, his eyes tearing up, "Thank-you!" he wrapped his tiny wings around Angel's waist and buried his face into her stomach. "No!" Eric growled, "No, no, no!" Angel gave Eric a teary eyed, puppy look, "Please Eric? Just until, we find him a home?"

When Eric saw Angel's face, she looked as if she was about to cry. He gulped, "Umm…" Angel frowned and her tears began to well up. "Fine!" Eric shouted, "Just no crying! Got it? No crying!"

Angel frown disappeared instantly, and a big grin appeared on her face. "Thank-you Eric," she said.

Eric rolled his eyes and turned away from Angel and Andromeda. If they'd seen his face, they'd have known he was blushing.


	6. Proposition

PROPASITION

Goth was slumped over the stone. Resting his head on his hand, and tracing the stone with a claw. _I'll never be able to understand these markings _he thought grimly. "Excuse me, my lord." Goth turned around, to see one of his messenger bats, Heron, standing in the doorway. "What is it?" Goth grunted. "Your highness, there is a bat not from out colony who wants to speak with you," Heron replied.

Goth sighed, "What does he want?"

"I'm not sure, your highness, but he seemed very eager to speak with you," Heron said. Goth waved a dismissive claw, "Go on. Send him in." Heron bowed, and called for the mystery bat. "You may enter!"

Instantly, a tall Vampryum, with long white hair and dark purple eyes flew into King Goth's chamber. He wasn't nearly as muscular as Goth, but he did look like he would be a challenge.

"Leave us," Goth ordered Heron. The messenger bowed once again and left the chamber, glaring at the strange bat as he disappeared through the entrance. The bat turned to Goth, "It is…a pleasure, to meet you, your highness." His voice was smooth as silk, but his greeting seemed rather forced, as if he had to cut it from his own throat. Goth gave no greeting in return. "Who are you?" he asked. The Vampryum's lips twisted into smirk, "Who am I? My name is Rosiel."

"What is your business here?"

Rosiel took a step forward, "My master, Lord Luxor, has a proposition for you." Goth crossed his arms, "And what would that be?"

"We want your stone," Rosiel replied, pointing behind Goth.

"Excuse me?"

"Master Luxor, he was once a high priest," Rosiel continued, "if you give us the stone, he can read the hieroglyphics."

Goth's eyes narrowed, "What else, is in it for me?" Rosiel smiled, and a chill went down King Goth's spine. "Your Highness. My master is offering his services; providing you give yours, and both getting praised by Zotz when we raise him from the underworld."

Goth didn't trust this bat, and he had never heard of this, Luxor but he needed a priest. "I want to meet with master," Goth said, "then I'll think about it."

The smile never faded from Rosiel's face. He chuckled softly and bowed, "But of course…your highness. Follow me if you please."

Rosiel led Goth to one of the darkest parts of the jungle. They had to rely completely on echo location now. "Where exactly are you taking me?" Goth asked, getting very irritated. "Lord Luxor roosts under the waterfall," Rosiel said simply. _Waterfall? _Goth had explored almost every inch of the jungle; he'd never seen a waterfall in this part. But the sudden rushing of water up ahead convinced him. Rosiel chuckled and flicked his chin, "Over there King Goth," Goth used his echo vision to see a small, but beautiful waterfall just three hundred wing beats away from them. Rosiel angled his wings and flew down towards the wall of rushing water. He cut behind it, into the cave inside. As Goth followed he heard a rough voice call out a greeting, "Rosiel, you have returned with King Goth I presume?"

"Yes my lord," Goth heard Rosiel reply. Goth turned the corner in the cave, and winced as the bright light from torches on the cave walls hit his eyes. He landed on the ground and rubbed his eyes carefully, then looked up to see a chamber with about twenty bats, all standing around a single skinny Vampryum sitting on a throne made from a human skull.

The Vampryum sat cross legged on the throne, his fur, wings, and shoulder length hair, where so black that the only part you could see to him were his white teeth and red eyes. Around his neck was a necklace made from possibly bat teeth, and clay. "Welcome, King Goth, to my jungle home," the bat on the throne said. His voice didn't seem to match his elegant appearance, as if someone where speaking through him. It sounded like he was grinding rocks in his throat.

"Lord Luxor I presume?" Goth said bluntly. The bat on the throne nodded, "Now, let's get back to business shall we? I would like to offer my services, for your stone. Do you accept my offer?"

"Wait," Goth replied, "Please explain this to me, what exactly is your plan for raising Zotz?"

Lord Luxor smiled, bearing all of his shining teeth. "All in do time your highness, all in due time."

(Chapter 7 coming soon)


	7. I've misjudged you

I'VE MISJUDGED YOU

Eric roosted on his favorite branch, on his favorite tree gripping the vine that hung in front of him. He kept his head low, watching all the animals that scrambled across the jungle floor. A large shadow darkened his view, along with four others. He looked up, though he didn't need to, to figure out who they belonged too. Gemini and his friends. Gemini was the colony bully who always picked on Eric and several others. The larger Vampryum grinned and flashed his almost black eyes on Eric. "Same place as usual, huh Eric?"

Eric didn't reply.

Gemini continued to smile. "Why are you always here? You're either looking down at the ground or looking over the horizon. What're you waiting for?"

Eric turned his eyes back to the ground, still saying nothing.

"Hey, where's your mother anyways Eric? She dead?"

This caught Eric's attention. He looked back up at Gemini as him and his friends started laughing. Anger flashed through the smaller Vampryum's eyes.

"Hey Gemini look; I think you ticked him off," laughed one of Gemini's friends. Gemini's smile grew even wider. "Looks like I plucked a few heart strings boys. What's the matter Eric? Getting angry?"

Eric said nothing, but continued to glare angrily at Gemini.

"Still upset, that you were too week and pathetic to save her?" The bully continued.

Eric's eye twitched, and he gripped tightly onto the vine.

Gemini laughed, "What's the matter Eric? You gonna cry? C'mon, give us a few tears and we'll leave you in your misery cry baby." Instantly, Eric leaped up from the branch and tackled Gemini. Punching him in the face and jaw, hoping to destroy him, smash him into nothing. But Gemini's friends were upon him in seconds. They heaved him up and held his wings tight as Gemini stood up and wiped the blood from his face.

"Big mistake you little shit!" Gemini punched Eric in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, but Eric managed to kick up his legs and kick Gemini in the throat. The larger bat fell onto his back, gasping for air. The bats that gripped Eric pinned him down; one opened his jaws and clamped down hard onto his arm-

"OW!" Eric shrieked. He opened his eyes to see Andromeda's jaws biting deep into his arm. He slapped the small Brightwing with his wing, and rubbed the bleeding arm.

"What hell did you do that for?" Eric barked.

Andromeda rubbed his face. "You were crushing me! I couldn't breath!" Angel woke up, rubbing her eyes and stared lazily at the two.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily. "The little shit bit my arm!" Eric thrust out his forearm to show Angel the wound.

"I couldn't breath!" Andromeda protested, "I would've screamed but my mouth was full of fur!"

Angel rubbed her now throbbing skull and sighed. "Andromeda. Just say sorry, for biting his arm."

"But he hit me!" Andromeda whined.

"What?"

"He slapped me!"

Angel looked up at Eric. "Why would you hit him? He's just a kid." Eric's jaw dropped, "Excuse me? He bit my arm!"

"That's no reason for you to hit him!" Angel growled.

"Well if you had picked a bigger roost in the first place-"

"Oh so now it's _my _fault?"

Eric narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you know what? It is! If you had picked a bigger roost, I wouldn't have been crushing him, he wouldn't have bit my arm, and I wouldn't have slapped him."

"That has nothing to do with the size of the roost," Angel said. "If you weren't such a fat ass, there'd be more than enough room in here!"

"It's not fat!" Eric snarled, "Its muscle! But I guess you wouldn't know now would you? You're so damn scrawny and week."

Angel rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to argue with you. Just say sorry, both of you."

"But-" Andromeda and Eric said in unison.

"Apologize, both of you now!" Angel's voice echoed throughout the small cave they were roosting in.

Andromeda and Eric both looked at each other and mumbled, "Sorry."

"There," Angel said sighing "was that so hard?" She looked out through the entrance of the cave and grunted. "Well its twilight now, let's get moving."

"I'm thirsty!" Andromeda complained.

Eric grunted. "Can't you hold on for another hour? We've already-ow!" The Vampryum cringed and stared at the still bleeding wound on his forearm. "Damn it…"

Angel frowned. "Eric, if we stop at the river, Andie can get a drink and you can wash and rest your wing."

"It's fine," Eric mumbled. In reality, pain shot up through him every time he moved his arm. "Eric, seriously you look like your in allot of pain," Angel said worriedly, "we're going to the stream."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Fine, but you don't need to baby me."

The trio flew down to the ground and landed beside the river bank. Angel was relived to see that ice had not yet swallowed up the rushing water. "Eric, I really am sorry about your arm," Andromeda said, ears drooping. Eric just snorted as the small Brightwing flew off to get his drink.

"Eric, may I see you arm please?" Angel asked.

Eric held his wing to his chest. "Why?"

"So I can see how bad it is."

The larger bat slowly held out his forearm in front of her. Angel examined the wound carefully. It wasn't very deep, but there was allot of tear in the flesh, making the wound look worse than it actually was. Angel smiled. "It's not that bad, all I need are a few berries so spread over it and you'll be good as new." The Silverwing flew off.

A few minutes later, she returned chewing a few berries in her mouth. She landed and spat a bit of juice onto her hand. Eric blinked. "You're going to put _that _on my arm?"

"That's the general idea," Angel replied. Eric folded his ears back in anger and bared his teeth. "Don't fucking touch me."

Angel narrowed her eyes. "If I don't help you, your arm will get infected."

"I would rather have my wing rot off that have your spit on me," Eric snarled. Angel was about to come up with an insult when something flashed through her head. "You've never been treated for a wound, have you?"

Eric blinked. "What?"

"When my mom first put this stuff on me I was disgusted. Allot of newborns I knew were. You've never has this stuff on you before?"

Eric looked down at the ground. "No…"

"That explains allot," Angel grunted.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Angel pointed out the numerous small infections on Eric's chest, forehead, stomach and back. "You have allot of cuts, bites and scratches that were never treated. I only noticed them when we were roosting in that tiny cave."

All the anger faded away from Eric's face. "I was never the kind of bat who asked of help from anyone. I had to swallow up my pride, just to ask if you could help me get back south."

"Well…once I fix this wound…would you like me to fix the others?" Angel asked.

Eric thought about if for a moment, and nodded. "That would be nice."

Angel smiled and gently pulled out Eric's arm. "All right then." Carefully she spread the berry juice on the wound. She rolled her eyes when she saw his face wrinkle up from the sting.

The two said nothing for a few minutes while Angel continued spreading the juice over Eric's infections. "So…how _did _you get all these infections?" Angel asked as she rubbed some of the juice onto his back. Eric looked behind him, his eyes narrowing at the question. Angel gulped and looked down at the ground. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"I got into a few fights, I won't say anything more," Eric mumbled. Angel was in complete shock, he actually answered her question without spitting out something nasty. The Vampryum turned away, but Angel could still see the sadness in his eyes. He was hiding something, possibly allot of things, but it was his business and if he didn't want to talk about it she wouldn't ask.

Angel must have pressed too hard on his shoulder blade because Eric suddenly stiffened and gritted his teeth. "Oh, I'm really sorry," Angel said. "Did I press too hard?"

Eric smiled and shook his head. "No, no. There's just a bruise there, I got it when we fell through the dock a couple nights ago, remember?"

Angel shuttered. How could she forget?

"When I pushed you out of the way, I clipped my shoulder blade with the falling rafter," Eric continued.

The Silverwing frowned. _Because of me, Eric got hurt. _"No need to worry about me though," Eric said, as if reading her thoughts. "It'll go away."

"Do you have any other siblings besides your brother?" he asked randomly.

Angel nodded; surprised he was asking her about her personal life. "I have two sisters; Nadia and Rebecca. I also have three nephews and a niece."

Eric blinked. "You're an aunt?"

"Yup."

"Who do they belong to?" Eric asked.

"One nephew is my brother's. The other two are from Nadia, and my niece if from Rebecca," Angel replied.

Eric turned his head around to face her and smiled. "Do you have a mate?"

Angel blushed. "No, I'm not even sure if…" she trailed off, "why are you asking me so many questions?"

"Boredom I guess," Eric replied with a yawn. "Last question, what are your parent's names?"

Angel smiled, rolling her eyes. "My mother is Celeste and my dad's name is Victor." When she finished with Eric's back, Angel knelt down in front of Eric and began applying the berry onto his chest. "My turn to ask you, any brother's or sisters?"

Eric frowned and looked off into the distance. "Not really, I had a friend named Tobi who I adopted when his parents were killed…so I guess he counts."

"What about your parents?"

"My mother said my father's name was Hurricane…and her name was Andrea," Eric said quietly.

Angel paused for a moment and looked up at the larger bat. "You never knew your father?"

Eric shook his head. "He vanished before I was born."

"I'm sorry…" Angel said frowning. "It's alright," Eric replied. "I never knew him; I can't exactly miss him now can I?" He was smiling but his eyes held completely different emotions. Loneliness and heartbreak.

"What happened to your mother?" Angel asked.

"What do you mean?

"You said her name _was _Andrea. What happened to her?"

Eric closed his eyes and sighed. "She died. Please don't say you're sorry, it's not important now." Angel said nothing and continued to apply to juice to the rest of Eric's wounds. She wouldn't ask him how she died, his voice already seemed shaky after telling her about his mother's death.

After a few minutes, Angel examined how many wounds she had left to go. Then she realized something, "Eric, where did Andie go?"

Eric snorted. "He's probably looking for bugs under a rock somewhere." He frowned when he saw Angel's worried face, exactly the kind of face you'd see on a mother when she let's her child out of her sight. He sighed. "We'll look for him when you're done ok?"

Angel nodded, and once again continued with her work. _She's so kind _Eric thought. _She hates me and yet she's helping me. She helped me escape from the human building, and is getting me back south. After all I've said to her she's helping me. _He smiled to himself. _Perhaps I've misjudged her. _

_He can be really nice when he wants to be _Angel thought. _He hates me and yet, he protected me from the owls and saved me from that falling rafter. He's even beginning to open up. Even after all he's said to me, he saved me. _She smiled to herself. _Perhaps I've misjudged him._


	8. Luxor's plan

CHAPTER 8

LUXOR'S PLAN

Goth had no idea where he was or where he was going. A few of Luxor's followers had put a blind fold on him, and were taking him to another location to explain their plan. Suddenly, there was a rush of air and it became very cold. Goth shuddered and clenched his teeth in anger at the sudden change of weather. "Where am I?" he demanded. He heard Luxor laugh as he ripped off his blindfold. Goth was astonished at what he saw; the world was white and covered in a thick coding of snow. He had seen this before, but only in the north.

Luxor was standing over him, but to Goth's surprise he didn't look the same as he did a few minutes ago. His wings were gone, and his arms and legs had reshaped in a more human like body. He also wore a dark purple suit. Goth stood up suddenly, "What's going on here?"

Luxor smiled and spread his arms. "Welcome to the world of Terra!"

Goth was beginning to think he had gone insane. "What?"

"Terra, is the Earth's counterpart world. The only difference here is that when someone passes through one of the portals that are scattered throughout your world, they become Anthromorphic."

Goth continued to stare at Luxor is disbelief.

"Basically, we keep our animal appearance accept we have human-like bodies." The priest continued. "Even look at yourself."

Goth did. He stood up in the snow and examined his arms and legs. No more wings, stronger legs and arms, and he too was wearing clothes; A black leather jacket and dark blue jeans and boots.

"Why have you brought me here?" Goth asked.

"We have brought you here, because this is the only place I can finish my plan," Luxor replied. He pointed to an abandoned mansion behind him that was well hidden in the thick forest. "Come with us."

The group walked through the snow and into the mansion. Inside it was dark and cold, the cobwebs were thick, and strung along the spaces in the hand railing of the stairs. The floor was covered in such a thick layer of dust that Goth left footprints as he walked along the creaky floorboards.

Luxor led them all into a room that had obviously been cleaned up. The fireplace lit and warmed the room, showing its many bookcases, red carpet and red wallpaper. Luxor pulled out a thick book from the shelf and flipped the pages before he found the one he wanted. "A few years back," he began. "I discovered that there was another side the sacrificial stone." He showed a picture in the book that revealed both sides of the stone. The one side Goth knew, with the hieroglyphs that spiraled into the hole in the center, and a side that had nothing but the hole and six indents around it.

"And what exactly is the importance of this other side?" Goth asked.

Luxor smiled. "This side is a shortcut into bringing Zotz from the underworld. No eclipse is needed, and only one sacrifice is to be offered."

"Is that really all?" Goth asked, amazed.

"Well no, you see the instructions on the stone have long since been chipped away, but I have a potion that can restore the hieroglyphs. All I need is your stone King Goth, and we will follow the instructions to bringing our God back to his true glory!" Luxor closed the book and held out his hand. "Do we have a deal? Your Highness." Goth Gripped the Priest's hand and grinned. "Deal."

"Excellent!" Luxor cried. "Rosiel! Take King Goth and the others back to the jungle, so he can leave someone else in charge while he's away and bring back the stone."

Rosiel stepped out of the shadows, but as a human in all black clothes. "Yes sir."

Goth blinked. "Wasn't he a Vampryum before?"

Luxor nodded. "He is a shape shifter, his true form is a human, but he can change into almost anyone."

Goth hated the idea that he was also working with humans, but it was a small price to pay.

Andromeda hadn't realized how far he'd flown. He looked around the forest. He was lost. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself, but it wasn't working. Panic swept through him. "Eric, Angel?" He called out. Andromeda waited a few agonizing moments and got no response. He began to tremble violently. "Calm down Andie," he muttered. "They've got to be around here somewhere."

Something snapped behind him, and he swiveled around. It was nothing.

_Oh great, now I'm hearing things _Andromeda thought.

Suddenly a bat with bright gold eyes was in front of him, her upside down head smiling and giggling. "Hello."

"AH!" Andromeda shrieked in terror, his claws loosened from the branch, and he tumbled down to the ground, out cold.

"Wake up you little runt!"

Eric tossed some water onto Andromeda's face and he woke up suddenly. He looked around hurriedly, half expecting to see the female.

"What? Where is she?" he asked.

Angel looked at Andromeda carefully. "Who are you talking about?"

Andromeda locked onto Angel's face. When his heart slowed down to its natural rhythm he took a deep breath. "There was a girl, with gold eyes…where is she?"

"Honey, when we found you there was no one here," Angel explained calmly.

"What?"

"He probably imagined it." Eric grunted.

"I didn't!" Andromeda retorted. "There was a girl here!"

Angel gently patted the tiny Brightwing on the head. "Well if she was here she's gone now," she frowned. "You fell from pretty high up, are you alright?"

"I think so," Andromeda replied.

"See? He's fine, now let's get moving." Eric spread his long wings and rose into the air slowly, waiting for Angel and Andromeda to follow.

"Come on Andie," Angel said following Eric.

Andromeda nodded, carefully looking around first before taking off. _I know what I saw._


	9. Seven stones, two slayers and a demon

CHAPTER 9

SEVEN STONES, TWO SLAYERS AND A DEMON

Luxor carefully popped the cork from the vile he was holding. "Lay it down carefully," he instructed. Rosiel had, had to turn into his human self in the jungle so he could move the stone through the portal. Him and the others gently placed the stone in the middle of the room, and dusted off the dirt and leaves that were on it.

Luxor was about to pour the vile of green liquid onto the stone, but Goth suddenly grabbed his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"

Luxor peeled Goth's hand away from his arm. "This is Panda Lily nectar. It highlights hidden messages."

Goth grunted and let Luxor proceed. The priest gingerly poured the nectar onto the stone's rough surface, and it flowed all around the stone to the hole at its center. Instantly, the nectar began to glow sickly neon green and all of the carvings came into view.

Luxor grinned and started examining the carvings. "Hmmm… it says here, that we need seven gem stones." He pointed to one of the indents on the side of the stone that had been highlighted to show a drop of water.

"The stone of water," he pointed to an indent that was highlighted as a ball of fire. "The stone of fire…" He continued this, naming the stones one by one. "The stone of earth, the stone of wind, the stone of life, the stone of death…" Lastly he pointed to the hole in the very center, "and last but not least, the Eye of Zotz."

Goth blinked. "The Eye of Zotz? I've never heard of it."

"It is a rare curse stone that is given to one random person every fifty years," Luxor explained. "After we get all these stones, we need to make one sacrifice, and that is it."

"What's the point of the stones?" a human male asked.

"The stones of fire, water, earth, and wind are so Zotz can control all the elements that make the world," Luxor said. "The stones of life and death are for him to control all the creatures living and dead and the Eye of Zotz…is for him to see the passage to the world. Without it, he cannot gain passage."

"Do you know where we can get these stones?" Goth asked.

Luxor shook his head. "I only know where to get the Eye of Zotz, and we won't even have to lift a finger to get it." He looked over at Rosiel and held out his hand. "Rosiel, give me your cell phone. I'm calling Torch and Hercules."

Meanwhile… in the city of Aslan, just fifty miles from Luxor's location

Hercules woke up suddenly to the sound of Torch's cell ringing. He groaned and looked at his alarm clock; it was three in the morning! _Who calls at three in the fucking morning?!_ Hercules thought angrily. The great horned owl yawned and rolled himself out of bed. He picked up his partner's cell and looked at the caller ID; not available. He sighed and walked out into the hallway, stumbling over an old beer can Torch left out. _He's such a pig_.

Hercules tapped on his roommate's door with his knuckles and yawned. "Torch…your cell phone is ringing."

When he didn't get a response, the owl slowly opened Torch's bedroom door and held his breath. His room was disgusting! The floor was covered with so many pizza boxes, beer cans, clothes, gay porn magazines and random trash that you couldn't even see the carpet. His wall paper was peeling and the walls were moldy. His closet was so packed that it seemed it could burst any second and the room smelled like bad milk and Vaseline.

"Torch, get your ass up and take this call," Hercules said.

The Brightwing rolled his head over his shoulder, his spiked red hair even more messed up from the pillow. "You have it, you answer it." Torch was a thin but very muscular Brightwing with fiery red hair that stuck up like flames. He had a scruffy, short, red beard and green eyes. He also happened to be, a perverted homosexual.

Hercules sighed and pushed back his short blond hair. "You're the one who's paying for it."

"Yeah but you're standing right there!" Torch barked as he scratched at his beard.

Hercules puffed out his massive chest and put his hands on his hips. "This is YOUR phone, and I'm not gonna answer YOUR phone so here!" He tossed the phone right into Torch's head and the Brightwing fell over shouting in agony.

"Now answer it!"

"_Now answer it" _Torch mimicked as he hit the answer button. "Hello, Torch and Hercules Paranormal exterminators, this is Torch speaking."

The Brightwing winced when he heard the caller's rough voice. "I need….a demon exterminated," the voice said. "And I want the necklace she wears around her neck."

"Uh huh," Torch yawned. "Ok, if you want us to take care of this demon I'm gonna need a description, and five thousand."

"One of my associates is coming to your address as we speak with a picture, and ten thousand dollars," the voice continued. "You'll get ten thousand now and another ten thousand when you bring me the necklace…tomorrow evening."

Torch burst out laughing. "Tomorrow night? Are you serious? We're gonna need more time buddy."

"I'm being very generous in my offer Mr. Brightwing," the voice said calmly. "I'm paying you four times the amount you charge. If you can't get it done it one day, then I'll suppose I'll take my business elsewhere."

Torch sighed. "Fine, just give me the address you want me to meet you at."

"I will send my associate to pick up the necklace and give you your money tomorrow night at eleven o'clock. He will meet you at Aslan square."

Torch pulled out a scrap piece of paper and pen from the floor and wrote down the address. "Alright, pleasure doing business with you." He pressed the hang up button the cell and stood up. "Herc, get dressed in your mission clothes, we've got one day to hunt down and kill a demon."

"How much did the guy offer?" Hercules asked.

"Twenty thousand."

Hercules looked like he had just been punched in the stomach. "T-T-Twenty thousand?"

Torch nodded and was about to slip into his pants when he paused. "Shit…I forgot to ask where we could find the demon!" At that moment there was a knock on the door and Hercules ran to answer it. All that was left was an envelope, which he opened quickly and found ten thousand dollars in cash, a piece of paper with instructions on where to find the demon, and a picture of a little half wolf demon, half bat girl. "No need to worry about the instructions," the owl said, he frowned at the picture. "Torch…we're going after a little kid."

The Brightwing shrugged and walked into the living room. "Hey, little kids can be vicious demons, remember the one in Kanake forest?" Hercules shuddered at the thought and pocketed the picture and his half of the money. "Oh boy, don't remind me."

Torch pocketed his half. "Alright, get dressed let's go," he sniffed himself, "I can shower later."

Hercules sniffed the air and gagged. "I wish you'd shower now."

Eric rolled his eyes as he saw yet another colony of bats, Graywings, fly off in terror at Andromeda's band. _There goes another shot of us loosing the brat. _Angel and Andromeda flew down beside the Vampryum, sighing.

"I'll never find another home at this rate…" Andromeda said. Angel patted his back reassuringly and smiled. "Don't give up hope Andie, I promised I'd find you another home and I intend to keep that promise."

"Angel, I need to have a word with you," Eric whispered.

"Alright," she replied. "Wait here Andie." Andromeda nodded as the two flew up onto another branch and hung upside down, lowering his voice to a whisper Eric said. "This is taking longer than it would have been to just let him come south with us!"

"Well I'm sorry, but it's not my fault all these colonies are superstitious," Angel retorted.

"Look, I've changed my mind, we'll take him with us down south then…"

"Then what?" Angel asked.

Eric sighed. "I don't know…is there anyone in your colony that would be willing to take him?"

"Yeah I know quite a few couples that can't have any children; they'd love to have him."

"Alright then."

The two flew back down to the branch Andromeda was roosting on.

"Andromeda, how would you like to stay with my colony?" Angel asked the newborn.

Andromeda blinked. "Really? Would they let me stay?"

"Of course!"

"That'd be great!" Andromeda cheered. "But…aren't I slowing you guys down?"

"Yes," grunted Eric.

Angel clamped his jaw shut and smiled. "No not at all."

The continuation of Eric's horrible memory had come back.

Once again, the injured newborn dug for his mother under the ruins of his old home. He pushed away a large chunk of stone, and found the bloody female. She was half trapped under the rubble and was coughing up dirt and blood. Parts of her fur had been charred off, showing her pink skin. Her left wing was extended awkwardly, definitely broken, with most of the membrane burned and ripped off and her finger bones ripped through her flesh. Her nose dripped with blood, and she had a large gash across her forehead, showing part of her skull while the blood soaked into the fur on her right cheek.

Eric's mouth had become parched. He had no idea what to say, but he managed to spit out a small, "mom…"

"Eric…oh praise Zotz you're ok!" Andrea wheezed; gritting her teeth at the sudden flash of pain.

Tears streamed down Eric's cheeks as he reached over to touch her. Andrea held up her right wing. "No."

"Mommy…."

"Shhhh, it's alright little one. Please don't cry." Eric tried to stop but it was no use. His tears kept flooding back to him. "Mommy I'll get help, you'll be ok I promise-"

Andrea shook her head. "Eric…please listen to me. I love you with all my being, you _are _my life, so I want you to do something for me."

"W-what is it?"

Andromeda coughed and wiped the blood from her mouth. "I….I want you to stay as sweet as you are, don't let this change you, promise me."

"I promise," Eric replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Mom…please don't die, I need you."

A small smile appeared on his mother's face. "Oh Eric…I'll never leave you, as long as you have love in your heart you'll _never _be alone," she extended her good wing and stroked her son's cheek one last time. "I love you, my son." She let out her last breath as her head fell into the dirt. Her wing went limp, and her chest fell. She was gone.

Eric shook his head in disbelief. Sobbing, her pressed his cheek to mother's lifeless face.

Angel shifted toward the knothole in the tree to get a drink from the stream when Eric suddenly woke up and grabbed her wrist. She flinched and stared into the Vampryum's tear stained face. "Eric what's wrong?"

He swiftly pulled Angel into a tight hug, whimpering as he spoke. "Don't leave…don't leave me."

Angel blushed. "I was just going to get a drink."

"Don't leave!"

"Ok, ok no need to shout, Andie's still sleeping," Angel whispered. Eric continued to hug her until he drifted back to sleep. Even when he did, Angel thought it was best to get a drink when they were all awake.


	10. Nyoko

CHAPTER 10

NYOKO

Andromeda was startled awake by a sudden burst of cold air.

He gazed a sonic eye on Angel, who was fast asleep, wrapped in Eric's wings. The Brightwing smiled, popping his head out of the hollow and almost went blind.

The world had gone completely white. Thick white powder covered the ground and stretched as far as Andromeda could see. It blanketed the naked limbs of the trees so thickly it seemed that they were ready to snap off, and the wind cut through his fur, sinking into his skin and freezing his blood and bones.

The newborn tapped Angel's head gently with an extended wing and whispered. "Angel you have to see this!"

Angel shifted under Eric's massive wings and yawned. "What is it?" she asked drowsily. Andromeda flicked his chin to the entrance of the hollow as Angel stared in amazement. "What is this stuff?" Andromeda asked.

The Silverwing sighed. "It's snow," she nuzzled her younger companion's cheek, "like rain, only frozen."

Eric awoke with a grunt, looking at Angel and Andromeda, then the transformed world.

"Let me guess…we have to fly through all that crap?"

"Pretty much." Angel replied.

He snorted. "Just perfect."

Rosiel opened the door to a large dark room with a giant monitor attached to the wall in the back. All around the monitor were about twenty or thirty smaller ones, each with a different picture playing. And at a small desk looking up at the monitors was a skinny human male, with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing half rimmed glasses with thin lenses.

Rosiel ushered Goth to come inside as he walked over to the human watching the monitors. "Ryan, we have a new second in command." He grit his teeth at that sentence.

Ryan stood up immediately and saluted Goth. "Pleasure to meet you sir I look forward to working with you."

Goth ignored him and looked at the monitors. "What is this?"

"They are my computer monitors sir," Ryan replied with a smile, "I'm the security and information analogist. I use this system to hack into security cameras all over Terra."

The King stroked his beard with interest, perhaps the humans he was working with weren't so stupid and useless after all. Although he didn't truly understand what Ryan did.

"Umm…sir?" Ryan gulped.

Goth turned to him. "What is it?"

"I umm…just need to give you a bit of advice-" before he could finish Goth bared his fangs and snarled. "I don't take advice from you understand?"

Ryan nodded, his knees shaking. "Yes sir, I know sir, but this is imperative. When working with Master Luxor you must know not to get him angry…he…he has powers sir…horrible powers."

Goth laughed and grabbed Ryan by the neck of his sweater. "You think I'm going to cower in fear over that?" He shoved the poor man into the wall, "I truly think the one you should be fearing is me."

Luxor's claws tapped against the glass bat's skull atop his cane, echoing throughout his quarters.

"Is that really what he said?" the priest asked dully.

Rosiel nodded. "He was mocking you sir."

Luxor chuckled softly and pressed the end of his cane under Rosiel's chin. "I appreciate your loyalty," he tapped it across the shape shifters cheek, "but his highness King Goth is of no concern to me. He is arrogant, and knows nothing, but he is useful and I need him. You will follow his orders as if you were following mine, and you will not complain is that clear?"

Rosiel narrowed his eyes. "I will not follow some hack of a King!" He suddenly felt the sting of Luxor's cane across his face and cringed. Blood dripped down the side of his cheek from an open gash the cane had made on his pale skin.

Luxor laughed and stood up. "You will follow his orders, and you will like it."

Dashing after the beetle hungrily, Andromeda's mouth foamed with saliva. He hadn't eaten much the night before, making his stomach gnaw at itself all through the day. He was just about to scoop it up in wing, when something furry and white flew across his nose and devoured the bug.

Andromeda blinked in surprise, casting out echoes to try and find the thief but nothing came back to him. He nervously roosted on a snow covered branch, still trying to figure out what stole his dinner. _That was really weird _he thought. His claws began to sting from the cold and he shifted across the branch, brushing against something soft and warm. Andromeda froze in his place, feeling hot breath on his neck. He turned his head to the side and stared into two bright gold eyes.

"Hey clam ears!"

Andromeda screamed and shut his eyes tight. When nothing happened, he carefully opened one, than the other and almost laughed. It was the same female bat that had scared him two nights before. She was completely white, blending in perfectly with the snow, her bright gold eyes glowed under the moon's light, her ears were pressed completely flat against her head blending in with her thick long white hair. And a necklace with a green eye in the center hung around her neck.

"Man, you sure scared me!" Andromeda laughed. The female smiled at him, at least he thought she smiled, he couldn't even see her face properly it blended in so well.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, "what's your name clam ears?"

"Andromeda," he replied, "not clam ears."

The female shrugged. "Well that's what they look like to me. I'm Nyoko by the way, a Wolfwing."

Andromeda blinked. "Wolfwing?"

Nyoko nodded and suddenly stuck her canine like ears up and unfurled a white wolf's tail from around her waist. "We look like wolves."

The Brightwing stared in disbelief, he had never seen a bat like her before, and now that he thought about it, she hardly looked or sounded like one at all! When she put emphasis on her words, they almost came out like barks, her muzzle stretched long with a flat nose and she had frighteningly sharp teeth.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Andromeda asked, "did your colony banish you?"

"What! Of course not," Nyoko barked, "I just got separated, that's all." Andromeda's ears drooped and he frowned. "I'm sorry…it's just…" he held up his forearm to reveal his band, "I was banished from my colony."

"You got banished because of a piece of jewelry? That's dumb," the Wolfwing said, "I mean, my necklace is a REAL reason to be banished for but-"

She was cut off by Angel and Eric flying down to Andromeda. "There you are," Angel said, "we were worried about you."

Eric rolled his eyes. "She means she was worried." Angel slapped the Vampyrum in the arm and looked over at Nyoko. "Oh, who's your friend?"

"This is Nyoko Wolfwing." Andromeda replied. "That's nice, now let's get moving I'm freezing!" Eric hissed.

Angel put her claws on her hips and gave Eric a dirty look. "Will you shut up for five seconds?" she looked back to the Wolfwing and smiled, "sorry about that, he can be a real pain in the butt. What're you doing out here anyways?"

"I got separated from my mommy and daddy on our way to my uncle's colony," Nyoko said, "I know the way, it's fine."

"Great let's go." Eric said about to take flight. Angel grabbed his wing and snarled. "No Eric! Nyoko, you shouldn't be out here all by yourself, why don't we take you home?"

Eric slapped his forehead. "No, no, no! We've wasted too much time!"

Nyoko blushed. "Well…it really isn't that far, a night's flight…and it is in your direction."

Angel smiled. "It's settled then."

Eric just rolled his eyes and slammed his skull against the bark. He was never going to get home at this rate.


	11. Into Terra

CHAPTER 11

INTO TERRA

Andromeda stared at Eric in disgust as he swallowed the mouse he had caught whole. Turning his head to the tiny bat, Eric grinned, and slurped up the tail relishing in the fact he was making Andromeda squirm. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"You're gross!" Andromeda replied, sticking out his tongue. Eric grabbed onto Andromeda's tongue with his two free claws and glared at him right in the eye. "It isn't polite to be sticking your tongue out at others, some might find _that _gross," he gave the Brightwing a slight tug to make him wince. "Now, when I let you go, you'll put that filthy thing back into your little loud mouth before I rip it from your jaw got it?"

Andromeda nodded quickly as Eric released his tongue from his grip. "Eric!" the Vampyrum looked up in shock to see Angel and Nyoko flying for their lives from a great horned owl. "I thought we were at peace!" Andromeda said, panicking. Eric burst from the branch, slamming hard into the owl and causing him to careen to the cold earth. The owl kicked Eric hard in the chest. "Torch now!" he shrieked. Eric barely had time to blink when two knives fell from the sky towards Nyoko, who with amazing speed leaped out of the way, but one knife managed to hit Angel in her right forearm and she collapsed onto the branch where Andromeda was roosting.

Andromeda screamed in terror, as she lay sprawled on the branch holding her bleeding wing. Eric's face turned red with rage. He looked up to see who had thrown the knives; a much older male Brightwing with fiery red hair and a red bandana. "Damn Silverwng, got caught in the crossfire." He said angrily. Pounding his wings with his heart thundering in the ears, Eric flew up to the older Brightwing and punched him square in the jaw, but the owl had quickly come up behind him and kicked Eric in the back. The Vampyrum shrieked in agony, but turned and bit down hard on the owl's wing.

Blood rushed into Eric's mouth as he yanked on the owl's wing and tossed him over his head, trying to snap it off. Nyoko crouched down beside Angel, who was still holding her wing and said. "Don't worry I'll pull it out."

She wrapped her claws around the end on the knife as Angel yelped from having the metal yanked from her flesh. "Eric….got to help him," she said trying to push herself up. Nyoko shook her head. "You're not going anywhere, I'll help Eric."

Andromeda blinked. "How are you going to do that? You can't take those guys on!"

The necklace around the Wolfwing's neck began to glow as she chuckled darkly. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

In a flash of white fur, Nyoko was onto the owl's back and already scratching and biting into his flesh. Eric started in disbelief at how strong the newborn was, and how vicious she was acting. He turned to the older Brightwing, who seemed to know what was happening, and shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU WIN! STOP HURTING MY FRIEND!"

Nyoko's now green eyes turned to the Brightwing and laughed. "No way mortal! This is what you get for attacking innocent people." Her claws sunk deep into the owl's chest and slid down, tearing the flesh as if it was paper. The owl kicked and snapped his beak at Nyoko but she still had a tight grip on the bird.

"Enough Nyoko!" Eric screamed, but still the Wolfwing continued to fight with the owl. Tears streaming down the side of his face, Andromeda put in his voice. "STOP IT NYOKO STOP IT!" As if on cue, Nyoko's eyes faded back to gold and she released her bloody claws from the owl's chest, gasping and shaking, as if she had awoken from a nightmare. The owl went limp and plopped down on a branch, taking deep breaths and looking back up at his Brightwing companion.

Instantly, Eric rushed over to Angel and crouched down beside her inspecting her wing. "Are you alright?" he asked her. The Silverwing nodded and sat up painfully. "I'll be fine…but I don't think I can fly." Eric grit his teeth in anger, cursing himself. He should have gone with Angel and Nyoko; he should've been there to protect her. He then turned to the Brightwing and grabbed him by the neck, pinning him to the tree.

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing?" The Vampyrum snarled, "why did you go after an innocent girl? Why did you hurt Angel?"

"If you let me go I'll explain everything." The Brightwing replied calmly. As Eric released his grip, the Brightwing looked over at his owl friend. "Herc? You ok to fly?" The owl nodded and flew over to where the others were roosting.

"My name is Torch Brightwing," the Brightwing said, "this is my friend and partner Hercules Greathorn. We're paranormal exterminators, we were paid to kill Nyoko Wolfwing and grab her necklace." From the blank expression on the other's faces Torch could tell they had no idea what he was talking about. He sighed. "Alright, I'll start from the beginning."

For about an hour, Torch and Hercules explained to the others about Terra, Aslan City and what exactly they did for a living.

Torch looked at the Wolfwing when he was finished. "I don't know why, but the guy who hired us really wants that necklace of yours. It's the Zotz Eye am I right?" Nyoko said nothing and looked at her claws. Andromeda blinked. "Zotz Eye?" Hercules nodded. "It's a curse stone, said to have been created by Zotz himself, the bat god of the underworld. As I recall, it's given to one random person every fifty years and when they have it, it causes them to turn into killers when they're angry. They also say it can't be removed unless the person is kissed by their true love."

"Nyoko…is this true?" Andromeda asked. Nyoko nodded, tears filling her bright gold eyes. "You must hate me now…" The Brightwing shook his head and smiled. "I don't hate you, it's not your fault, besides, I'll bet one day you'll find someone who loves you and you'll be able to take the stone off."

"You-you really think so Andromeda-kun?" Nyoko asked, her eyes lighting up. "Definitely!" Andromeda replied. The Wolfwing blushed.

Eric listened to what Torch and Hercules said carefully as he watched Angel lick her bleeding wing clean. He couldn't help but have a sickening feeling in his stomach, if someone wanted the necklace around Nyoko's neck, that meant something bad was going to happen. "I want to find out what sick bastard wanted a little kid dead." Eric said finally. Torch blinked. "Why do you care? It's not your problem."

"The second we met Nyoko it became our problem," Eric snapped. "We have a connection now, and I want to know who called you, and why this bastard wants her necklace." Angel's eyes widened. "Eric you can't be serious. What about going home?" The Vampyrum shook his head. "The Jungle can wait."

Nyoko smiled. "This is great! I can show you guys where I live!"

"It's settled then," Hercules said. "We're all going back to Terra." Angel smiled for a moment and quickly frowned. "That's great…but I can't fly." Eric ginned and picked the Silverwing up in his arms. "Eric! What're you doing?" asked Angel. The Vampyrum continued to grin at her. "Let me be your wings."

Torch and Hercules led the group to a tiny cave, just two hours away from where they had been roosting. Torch poked his head into the cave, sending his echo vision to hit the swirling portal at the end. "Yup this it! Last one in is a Shadow Bunny's turd!" Scuttling on all fours, The Brightwing ran all the way into the back of the cave and disappeared through the portal. Eric, Angel, and Andromeda all stared in shock as Hercules was the next one to disappear through the portal.

Andromeda began to shake, his heart pounding in his ears. "I-I don't know about this…" Nyoko nudged him with her nose and laughed. "Awe come on Andromeda-kun, it's not that scary. We'll go together." Andromeda gulped at looked expectantly at Eric and Angel. "Go on, we'll be right there." Angel said kindly. Andromeda nodded and closed his eyes as he ran through the portal with Nyoko by his side.

Eric tilted his head upward at Angel, who was on his back. "Ready?" She nodded quickly, and together, they both scuttled through the portal.

Angel fell onto her back in the cold snow, looking up at the strange stars above her head. She sat up and looked at herself in panic. Her wings were gone! The membrane had vanished from in-between her legs and arms allowing her to freely move them. Her fingers had shortened dramatically and she was free to clench and wiggle them. What was even stranger was that she was wearing clothing. A black suite with a white shirt and black tie around her neck, she was also wearing black dress shoes.

Angel stood up, wobbly slightly before staring in shock at the others. Eric was wearing a brown leather jacket, black leather pants, black boots and black leather gloves. Andromeda was wearing, brown shorts, a green t-shirt, a tan vest, brown boots, and had a pair of goggles on his head. Nyoko was wearing a white skirt, white sneakers, and a white parka. Torch and Hercules were both dressed in dark blue jeans, black boots, blue long sleeved shirts, and thick vests. Torch wearing a red one, and Hercules wearing a yellow one.

Eric was examining himself. "This…is…fucked…" Torch shrugged and pointed to a large wooden sign on the side of the road. It said; Welcome To Terra, City Of Aslan, population, 437,000,000.

As the group walked through the noisy streets of Aslan, Torch and Hercules were talking amongst themselves. "Why can't we bring them to our apartment?" Torch was asking. Hercules slapped his forehead. "Because, that guy who hired us and his cronies know where we live!" Torch nodded. "Good point Herc, we should take em to Gregory's then."

"Who the hell is Gregory?" Eric asked, starting to get irritated. Torch grinned. "You'll see cutie."

Eric blinked. "Cutie? Awe hell no! We're with a fag!" Angel punched the Vampyrum in the arm. "Eric! They're trying to help us, be polite."

"Nah he's right actually," Hercules. "Torch is a man whore."

"And damn proud of it!" Torch shouted, punching the air. Andromeda cocked his head to the side. "Angel, what's a fag?" The Silverwing blushed. "Well…you see Andromeda, first off that's not the polite term, it's actually homosexual. And homosexual means-"

"Quit beating around the bush Angel!" Eric snarled. "Andromeda, a fag is a male who has sex with other males."

"Eric!"

"Oh," Andromeda said. "Then, what's a man whore?" Eric rolled his eyes. "A man whore is a male who has sex with multiple people."

"What's sex?" Before Eric could reply Angel covered his mouth and laughed nervously. "We'll tell you when you're older Andie."

"This way!" Torch called as he turned the corner. The others followed down the cobble stone path that lead down to a quiet and dark street. After a couple of minutes of silence, they came to an old building with a wooden sign on the top of the door that said; Phillip P. Penndragon's Magic Shop.

"Is this the place?" Nyoko asked curiously. Torch nodded as he picked up a rock from the street and threw it at the top window. "Gregory! Get your furless ass out here!" Angel and Eric stared at each other in confusion before a red headed human popped his head out of the window. "Torch! It's ten thirty at night what do you want?" Andromeda's mouth dropped. "It's a human! You're talking to a human!" The human looked down at the group. "What's going on?"

"Let us in and we'll tell you!" Torch called. The human sighed and shut the window. In less than a minute, the front door opened and the human stood in his underwear and white tank top. "Alright come in. Just be quite my dad's still asleep." He stood aside as the group walked into the shop. It was certainly a strange and messy place. There were three large tables at the right hand side, two were covered in books, papers, strange ingredients, and lab equipment, the last table was stacked with dirty dishes. All around the walls were covered with boos shelves packed with thick books. There was a couch in the middle of the room that had dirty laundry laid on top of it. The kitchen in the back was covered with grime and dishes and old food. And the floor itself had a light dusting of old papers.

The human yawned and scratched his head. "Gregory Penndragon at your service. Now what's this about Torch?"

Torch spent a few minutes explaining why they needed to spend the night at the shop as the human listened quietly. "Ok," he said after the Brightwing had finished. "You guys can stay here. I'll start making the spare rooms." Before Gregory could head up the stairs Hercules stopped him. "Wait, what time is it?" Gregory looked at his watch. "10:34 why?"

"Shit! Torch, we need to meet that guy at Aslan square!" Torch slapped his forehead. "Dammit you're right Herc! Gregory, can you watch Andromeda and Nyoko while we head out for a bit?"

"Umm, sure." Gregory replied. "Guess this means we'll finally get to find out who put the hit out on Nyoko." Said Angel. Eric nodded. "Let's go."


	12. Our Story Begins

CHAPTER 12

OUR STORY BEGINS

Aslan square was a giant circle in the middle of the city. It was also called, "The Heart of the City,". The centre was made of cobble stones all different colours that circled into the middle. On the edge of the town square, was the Aslan bridge; that connected to the docks on the other side of the city.

As Torch, Angel, Eric and Hercules ran for the bridge, they saw the shadowy figure of a male Greywing sitting on its edge, smoking a cigarette nervously, all dressed in black. Torch carefully walked towards the Greywing. "Excuse me," he said. "Are you the associate?"

The Greywing's cigarette had been smoked down to the filter. He nodded sheepishly and dropped it onto the ground with a pile of about forty smokes. Why was he so nervous? He took a step forward. "Master Luxor wants to know if you have the necklace."

"So that's who you're working for." said Torch. The Greywing covered his mouth and cursed himself. Clearly he shouldn't have said that. His eyes shifted back and fourth along both sides of the bridge, as if waiting for something to happen. He let out a shaky breath. "Well, do you have the necklace?" Torch nodded, pretending to grab something out of his vest pocket. "First thing's first. You gotta tell me why this Luxor character needs it."

The Greywing gulped. "I really don't know. I don't know anything, he just sent me down here to pick it up I swear." Torch rolled his eyes. "Uh huh. Why are you so nervous then?" The Greywing backed away to the edge of the bridge. "No….reason…" he looked up at the street light above his head and back at Torch. "Just…give me the necklace. I have your money, then we can both go." All the street lights along the bridge suddenly went out all at once and Torch screamed. "It's a trap!" Five large men appeared from every corner of the bridge, grinning and laughing at the surrounded group. "This night just keeps getting better and better." Eric muttered as he elbowed a man in the throat.

The man Eric had punched growled and tried to hit him in the stomach, but Eric grabbed his hand flipped him onto his back. Instantly the rest of the men picked their targets and they began fighting in the middle of the bridge. Torch and Hercules managed to grab one man and toss him into the Greywing, sending them both screaming into the river below. "Shit!" One of the men exclaimed. "This is getting too rough, we gotta split." Another nodded and grinned. "Yes, but take the little guy in the suit."

"What for?"

"Luxor said, if things go bad, kidnap one of them and force the rest to come to the factory."

"Ok then."

Both men snuck up behind Angel, one grabbing her around the waist while the other hit her in the back of the neck, causing her to black out. As one swung Angel over his shoulder the other called out. "Let's get outta here!" With that all the men took off like a bolt of lightning.

Eric, Torch and Hercules were all left panting and bleeding in the middle of the bridge. Only Eric noticed the men running off with Angel. His eyes danced with the flames of anger as he turned to the Brightwing and Owl. "I'm going after them!" Before the two could object, Eric was already gone.

Angel moaned and opened her eyes. She felt like she had been beaten with a tree branch. She tried to move, but realized that she was tied to a chair. Panic coursed through her veins as she struggled to get out of her predicament, but with no luck. The knots were too tight, and moving was causing her arms to rash.

"Well, well. Looks like she's awake." A smooth voice said. Angel looked up to see a white haired human standing before her, smiling deviously. "Greetings."

"Who are you?" Angel demanded.

"My name's Rosiel," the human said. "Third in command, under Lord Luxor." Angel blinked. "Who's Luxor?"

"The bat who's going to help me raise the one true God from his prison."

Angel looked around Rosiel and her eyes widened. A huge Vampyrum stepped out of the shadows. His thick accent made Angel shudder in fear, he had long amber hair with a red trimmed beard, gold eyes and was wearing a long black trench coat with black boots. Something about him though seemed familiar…like something out of a story. She'd heard of him before…then it hit her. "Goth…"she breathed.

Goth threw his head back and laughed harshly. "Ah, so you know my name Silverwing." Angel growled. She had heard all about Shade Silverwing's adventures; about how he defeated Goth and the cannibal bats, but why would be Goth be here of all places? "What do you want from me?" Angel demanded. The Vampyrum King lifted her chin up to his eye level. "It's not you I want little boy." Oh great, Angel thought. Another person who thinks I'm a guy!

Rosiel slapped his forehead and shouted. "She's a girl you idiot!" Goth blinked in surprise, not even caring that Rosiel had called him an idiot. "How would you know?" Goth snapped. Rosiel rolled his eyes. "I have perfect pitch. That means, I have way better hearing that you could ever dream of. Her tone of voice is much too high pitched for even a eunuch to pull off."

"Well whatever it is then!" Goth snarled. "Either way, he-she-its our bait!" The front door suddenly slammed open and Eric rushed inside, staring in disbelief. Goth smiled at the younger Vampyrum. "Just in time, cousin."

"Cousin?" Angel asked. Eric nodded and looked back to Goth. "What's going on Goth? Why do you have Angel tied up?"

"All will be revealed," Goth said waving his hand. "But first, allow me to say, how irresponsible you are. Letting your little Silverwing friend get captured." His voice spat out the word 'Silverwing' as if it were poison. "Why you even consort with her is beyond me. But I guess cavorting with trash runs in the family."

Eric ground his teeth together, his hands balled up into fists. "Shut up!" he barked. "What do you even know about responsibility? You got our entire colony destroyed!"

Goth's lips drew back as he bared his glistening teeth. "True, but at least I'm not a mongrel prince!"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What are you blabbing about?"

Goth laughed, and it sent a chill down the younger Vampyrum's spine. "Oh I'm sorry, no one ever told you?"

"Told me what?" Eric demanded.

"You Eric, should have become King when our royal family perished!"

Eric froze, trying to analyze what the King had just said to him. King? No, it was impossible. Goth continued to laugh. "Do you want to know why no one told you?" Eric didn't want to hear. "Because your father was a mere servant! A lowlife, who was worth nothing more than the dirt under my feet."

"My father was not a lowlife!" Eric snarled. Goth shook his head and walked up to his cousin. "However, it does not matter now. I am King again, and you are a worthless mongrel. That can be changed of course." Eric said nothing, watching his cousin walk around him, like a cat prancing around his pray. The older male squeezed Eric shoulder. "Join me Eric. I will let your…friend go and you, will get all the respect you want."

"What are you planning Goth?" asked Eric calmly. The King stood behind him, resting both hands on the younger Vampyrum's shoulders. "For now, I'm searching for the seven stones that will bring our God back from his prison. Once we have them all, Zotz, will reign over everything! He will wipe the humans off the face of the earth along with all the other bat and owl colonies and will bring eternal night."

Angel gasped and all the colour drained from Eric's face. Goth swirled around the younger male, extending his hand. "Do we have a deal?" Eric smiled, his eyes narrowing as he grabbed onto Goth hand, pulled him closer, and spat in his face. "Fuck you." Goth's eye twitched as the saliva dripped down his nose and chin. "Not smart."

Rosiel and four other henchmen ran towards Eric as the younger Vampyrum picked up a metal pipe that lay on the ground. He smashed the pipe into their skulls, beating away one after other until Goth grabbed the pipe from Eric's hand and punched him across the face. The younger Vampyrum fell to the cold ground and tried to get up, but Goth slammed his foot in-between his shoulder blades and dugs his heel down into the spine. Eric grit his teeth in pain, helpless and pinned. His eyes drifted to Angel, still tied to the chair, her mouth open in mute horror. Eric managed to crane his neck to his cousin. "Do what you want with me, but don't you fucking touch Angel! Let her go you asshole!"

Goth dug his heel deeper into the younger male's spine until he received a yelp of pain. "Look at you. You're just like your father, a pathetic mongrel who can't even own up to his responsibilities. He abandoned your mother, you left her to die in the cave in, and now you can't even summon up any strength to save your friend."

Rosiel's phone rang; he answered, and hung up after about three seconds. "Luxor wants us gone Goth. He says these mortals aren't worth it." Goth ground his teeth, looking back down at his cousin. "Sounds like it's your lucky day, but be warned; if you try to stop me, I will personally tear out your heart." He stepped off the younger Vampyrum's back, and kicked him so hard on the side of the head that he blacked out.

Eric's eyes shot open to see Torch looking down at him. "Where's Angel?" he demanded. He shot up, looking around the white room. "Woah there," Torch said. "Settle down, you're in the hospital with a concussion." Eric was suddenly aware of the throbbing pain in his skull, but that didn't matter. "Where's Angel?" He asked again. He grabbed the Brightwing's shirt and shook him. "Where is she?"

"I'm over here."

Eric turned around and almost fainted with relief. Angel was standing beside him, wearing a blue hospital gown and had bandages up her arm. "I'm really glad you're ok Eric." The younger Vampyrum smiled. "I can survive anything," he looked at her arm. "Who fixed you?" Angel shrugged. "I don't know her name; Torch said she was a nurse." She smiled. "You look like hell."

"Huh?"

Torch held up a mirror that was on the bedside table and held it up to Eric's face. His head was wrapped with bandages and his eye and cheek where black and blue with two thin cuts. "Awe don't worry Eric, you're still a cutie." Torch said with a wink. Eric once again grabbed Torch by his shirt collar and dragged him down. "Watch it faggot, or else you'll be the one in the hospital."

Before Torch could reply, Hercules walked into the room with Andromeda, Nyoko, Gregory and a Greywing he had never seen before. Andromeda ran up to the Vampryum and hugged his arm. "Eric! I'm so glad you're ok." He let go of his arm and wrapped his arms around Angel's waist. "I'm glad you're ok too Angel." Angel smiled and patted the Brightwing's head. "Good news guys," Hercules said. "Angel and Eric will be able to leave the hospital today."

"That's good to hear," Angel said. Eric nodded. "Yeah, we have a long journey ahead of us."

"What're you talking about?" Hercules asked. Eric sighed and began to tell the others of Goth's and Luxor's plan. The Greywing in the corner listened to this carefully and spoke up after Eric was finished. "This explains why he wanted Nyoko's necklace so badly. But that's merely a piece of the puzzle. He wants the stone's of water, fire, wind, earth, life, and death. Last but not least, a sacrifice."

Eric stared at the Greywing. "Who are you anyways?" The Greywing bowed. "Phillip P. Penndragon, Gregory's father."

Eric and Angel stared at the human and Greywing. "Ok…how is that possible?" Angel asked. Gregory smiled. "I was abandoned as a baby, Mr. Penndragon took me in."

Phillip coughed. "Getting back to the situation at hand…after you two get out of the hospital, you'll have to head to Terra castle just outside of town. Gregory will guide you." Gregory blinked. "But father, none of the stones are there."

"True," Phillip replied. "But trust me, you must go there to start your journey." Hercules looked at his watch. "Guy's visiting time is over, we'll come back to pick them up in a few hours."

Torch got up from his seat and stretched. "Alrighty, you two will be fine for a couple of hours?" Eric and Angel nodded. Andromeda smiled and waved as he ran out the door with Nyoko. Hercules, Gregory and Phillip left along with them as Torch ran up to the door and looked back. "Catch yah later hottie." Eric wiped his pillow at the Brightwing and he took off.

Angel sat down beside Eric on his bed and sighed. "Looks like we've bit off more than we could chew." The Vampyrum sighed also. "It won't be easy that's for sure. But I'll be there to protect you." Angel looked at Eric strangely as he blushed and covered his mouth. "What I mean is-well you know what I mean! I promised I'd protect you, it was our deal." The Silverwing rolled her eyes and grinned. "Whatever, anyways, thank you for saving me."

Eric looked down at his hands. "Don't thank me. If Luxor hadn't called that freak with the white hair Nocturna only knows what would've happened to you." Angel continued to smile. "The point is, you came through for me…thank you Eric." She pressed her lips up against the Vampyrum's cheek, making Eric's face turn bright red and his ears wiggle. "W-What the hell was that?" The male stammered. The Silverwing laughed and nuzzled the same cheek. "Oh, don't be such a newborn."


	13. Bonds Of Love

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

BONDS OF LOVE

Because the castle was too far away by foot, Torch insisted they get a car. Now they were standing in front of a noisy garage with a sign on top. Morty's Repairs, Scrap Metal and Car Rental. "Here we are." Torch said unnecessarily as he stepped into the garage. The others followed silently, looking around the noisy garage. There were bats, humans and various other animals all working on cars. Some of their faces hidden by metal masks while holding a nozzle that shot out a blue flame. Others running around, screaming, and some underneath the cars with only their legs showing.

"Morty!" Torch called out. A female long eared bat's head rose out from under the hood of an SUV. She stepped out in front of the group, wiping the oil off her hands with a rag. "What can I do you for?" she asked. The long ear was a lot younger than Torch. She wore a grey t-shirt and blue overalls, with oil stained sneakers. Her chestnut brown hair layered nicely down to her shoulders, and her face was elegant and slim, but her greenish fur was matted and filthy, making her dark brown eyes stand out.

Torch smiled devilishly and wrapped an arm around the long ear. "Morty, my dear pal-"

"Forget it butt pirate, I'm not renting you another car." Morty interrupted. Torch frowned. "Awe come on Morty!"

"No Torch."

"Pwease?"

"You're getting me angry."

"PWEASE?!"

Morty suddenly pulled out a wrench from her pocket and smacked the Brightwing across the face with it. The others cringed as Torch wobbled to the side and rubbed his bruised cheek. "Everyone…" he said through gritted teeth. "This is Mortisha Slone; AKA Morty. She's the best mechanic in all of Aslan." Torch spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Morty with a grin. "Think you chipped some of my teeth that time."

Morty snorted. "Next time, I'll break your jaw."

"I like her already," Eric laughed. Angel blinked and whispered to Hercules. "I take it he gets hit allot?" The owl nodded. Torch stumbled over to his companions. "Morty, these are my friends; Angel, Eric, Gregory, Nyoko and Andromeda. Of course you know Hercules."

Morty smiled and shook their hands. "Nice to meet you guys. What'd you need a car for anyways?"

"To get up to the forest," Gregory said. "We're kind of on a mission."

"Well you're going have to get another ride, cause I ain't lending tweedle dee and tweedle dumb here another car," she pointed a finger towards Torch and Hercules. "Every time I lend these two idiots a car for one of their jobs, it always gets trashed!" Angel stepped forward and rubbed her arm. "We really have no way of getting up to the castle," she said quietly. "We'll bring your car back in one piece, we promise." Morty sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, follow me."

She led the group to the back of the garage and pulled out a remote from her pocket. "Now, you guys have to take really good care of this jeep, it's my pride and joy. I made myself." Morty's thumb clicked the button on the remote and the steel wall began to rise. Inside, was a storage facility. Littered with parts and in the middle was a giant silver and green jeep and a black motorcycle laying on its side in the corner.

"I'm gonna tell you guys right now that you can't get far in the woods with this jeep," Morty said. "I'll show you a bit of technology that I'm testing." The long ear pulled out another remote from her pocket, much smaller than the other one. When she pressed its button, the jeep flashed green and vanished.

Eric's mouth dropped open. "How did you do that?" he stammered. Morty smiled and laughed. "This remote lets me turn the car into memory codes and store them." Eric still didn't quite understand. Morty sighed. "Basically, the car went from there, into the remote."

Morty tossed the remote over to Hercules who examined it carefully. "Simply amazing."

"You've really outdone yourself this time Morty," Torch said. "I know," Morty replied. She pulled out a third remote from her pocket and tossed it over to Eric who blinked in confusion. "What's this for?"

"That motorcycle in the corner is yours to keep my muscular friend."

Because the trees were too close together the group had to walk the rest of the way when they reached the forest. They had only been walking for about twenty minutes, when Gregory stopped dead in his tracks. "We're here."

Angel looked around, only to see more forest and snow. "I don't see anything." She said softly. Gregory smiled and pointed upward to a huge mountain of snow. "That's the castle, it's been buried, but the entrance should still be uncovered."

Before they could take another step, Nyoko dove behind and tree and whispered for the others to follow. "Nyoko what's wrong?" Andromeda asked worriedly. Nyoko hissed at the Brightwing to shush and pointed around the castle to where six men dressed in black were standing. "Who are those guys?" questioned Gregory. Eric snarled. "Those are Goth's and Luxor's men."

"Let me guess," said Hercules. "They're blocking the entrance?" The red haired wizard nodded. "Don't worry; I can still get us inside."

"How?" said Angel. Gregory pulled out his wand and snuck over to the base of the buried castle. He then pressed the tip of the wand to the snow and in a flash of light, there was a giant hole. "This way." Gregory hissed as he ran inside the makeshift cave.

After one of the servants lit the torches, Luxor stepped towards the circular stone lying on the ground. Over the centuries most of the writing and paint had scratched off but the priest knew well what to do.

Goth tapped his foot impatiently on the stone ground. "Why exactly are we here?" he asked through gritted teeth. Luxor shot the King a look that froze his blood. "This stone can bring back the dead your highness. Care to give it a try?" Before Goth could say anything, Luxor pulled out a dagger from his inner suite pocket and slit his wrist. His followers gasped in shock as their master's blood sprayed from his black furred wrist and pooled onto the stone. Has this bat lost his mind? Goth thought.

The priest howled with laugher as he dropped his dagger and placed a hand over his splattering wrist. When his hand pulled back, the slash had completely healed. "The stone needs the blood of a priest," Luxor stepped aside and gestured for Goth to step up. "Care to give it a try your highness? It's quite easy; just think of the person you want to bring back. Have their image in your mind, and up they will come."

The group waited patiently as Gregory flipped through the large book he had been carrying. The red haired human sighed. "I'm sorry guys, I know there's a passage to the bottom floor somewhere, but this book doesn't explain much." Angel hopped up off the cold floor and peaked over Gregory's shoulder. "Well what does it say?"

"Well," Gregory began, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "It says that there is a secret door to the bottom floor, but apparently we need some sort of key." He sighed and flipped a few pages. "But it doesn't say where the key is and it completely goes off topic to explain about these two rings. This book doesn't make any sense."

"This is a waste of time!" Eric scoffed. "I say we just look for another way in, this place has gotta have a million different ways to get to the basement." The Vampyrum shifted on the rock his was sitting on and suddenly heard a click beneath him. When he looked down, a brick just above his head slid back into the wall and a small box popped out and crashed onto the floor.

Hercules blinked and examined the box; it was rectangular and rather long, like a jewelry box, the brown paint on the wood had begun to peel and it was covered with a very thick layer of dust. "Well this is strange; it must've been the jewelry box of the princess that lived here centuries ago."

"Hey I'm the one who found it lemme see!" Eric snatched the box out of Hercules's hands and opened it up; inside were a set of silver rings with a green heart design in the middle. One was slightly larger than the other, obviously made for a man, while the other was smaller and slimmer, made for a woman. Eric shrugged and tossed the smaller ring to Angel. "Here, you can have it."

Angel blinked in surprise before catching it and slipping it on her finger. "Wow," she exclaimed. "It's so pretty."

Luxor and his henchmen watched curiously as a blue light began to swirl around the middle of the stone, slowly getting bigger and taking shape. Within a few seconds, the light took the shape of a bat, carefully molding out the features. But before anyone could get a good look, the light fanned out blinded all of them, and just as quickly as it had blinded them, all the noise was sucked out from the chamber along with the celestial light and Goth stared in shock and confusion as to who was standing in the middle of the stone.

Shade Silverwing.

Rosiel raised an eyebrow. "Old friend of yours Goth? Or are you still in the closet?"

Goth twisted his head around so fast the shape shifter didn't even blink. "No! I don't know how this happened! I was trying to bring back my mate Phoenix."

All the words were caught in Shade's throat as he examined himself. Alive. How was this possible?

Luxor rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter Goth, you can still bring back your mate." He turned to his guards and snapped his fingers. "Hold the Silverwing back until we get this sorted out." The guards grabbed Shade by the arms and lifted him over to the back of the chamber, struggling against their strength.

Goth shot Shade an evil glare before looking back towards the stone, and trying again.

"Wait a second!" Gregory exclaimed as he flipped through his book. "Yes, these are the rings from the book, and they're not rings they're weapons."

"I've heard this story before, I think," Torch said. "The Prince and Princess who lived here had specially made wedding rings that would turn into swords when they were in trouble." Gregory nodded furiously. "Exactly! But I don't think it ends there." The wizard spun himself around and ran for the back wall, using his palms to wipe away the dust and mold. He then flipped through his book and held it up to the wall. "This is the door, and those rings are the keys!"

The female with a mighty crest of red fur atop her head stood in the middle of the stone, her eyes shifting around nervously. "Where am I?" She asked. "What is this place? What happened to the mines?"

Goth grinned. "Nice to see you again Phoenix."

Phoenix's eyes met Goth's and with immediate dislike she bared his no longer obsidian fangs. "You again? I was hoping you'd be dead by the time I finally got up here." Goth sighed. "I'll explain everything to you later, just get over here." The female rolled her eyes and stumbled off the stone. Bats aren't exactly used to walking.

"Now that this stupidity is over with," Luxor said, "I'll use the stone then we can take it and get back to more important matters."

Eric and Angel stood in front of the wall, examining the intricate designs and two small grooves where the rings were supposed to go. "Ok guys, just slip on the rings, press them into those groves and turn your wrist to the right." Gregory directed. As the two slipped on their rings, a small green glow came from the centre and Angel blinked in surprise. "Eric, did you see that?" Eric nodded slowly and pressed the top of his ring into the groove, hearing a small click.

Angel took in a deep breath and pressed hers against the stone, also hearing a small click. The Vampyrum smiled at her. "Ready?" The Silverwing nodded as they both turned their wrists and felt the stone move under their fingers. When they pulled back, the stone wall began to rumbled and shift back, causing dirt and snow to rain from the ceiling. When the wall had fully shifted back, a blinding blue light glowed from the bottom of the chamber.

Hercules peaked down the chamber and sighed. "We got company down there, everyone ready for a fight?" Angel looked down at the small Brightwing child who shook with fear. "You don't have to go down there Andie, I don't want you getting hurt."

Andromeda bit his lip as he looked up at Angel with his bright blue eyes. "I-I-I can do it." He stuttered. "I'm brave!" Nyoko linked her arm around Andie's and smiled. "If Andromeda-kun can do it, I can too, you've seen me fight."

Eric grunted and cocked his head to the three. "Fine, but if any of you get into trouble get behind me."

Luxor grinned as the light took the shape of the Vampyrum. _I'll finally be with you again…Esmeralda. _The light fully took shape of the female Vampyrum and she looked at Luxor with confusion. "Luxor?" her voice echoed.

Before the Priest could answer, Eric and the others came crashing down onto the stone, shattering the image and snapping the stone in half. All the colour from Luxor's face drained and he fell to his knees in horror as chaos started all around him.

Andromeda ran beside Nyoko, kicking the shins of the all the henchmen who tried to grab him and watching them fall in agony. But soon they were surrounded by men who laughed and cracked their knuckles as the stepped towards the children. "What're we gonna do Nyoko?" Andromeda squealed. Nyoko narrowed her eyes and grinned. "Grab my shoulders, and watch this."

The Brightwing gripped onto his friend's shoulders tightly, being careful not to dig his claws in as the Wolfwing bend down, and pressed her palms against the ground. Without warning, giant waves of ice appeared in front of the henchmen and slammed them into the walls, freezing them in place. Andie's eyes went wide. "How did you do that?" Nyoko stood back up and spun around so her arms were around Andromeda's neck. "Because I'm a demon."

Angel spun around just in time to see Phoenix lunging at her, claws extended. The Silverwing leaned back to avoid being swiped in the face, but Phoenix's claws snagged the fabric of Angel's tie and brought her down onto her back before it was torn from her neck. The larger female pinned Angel down, raising her claws high in the air, but before she could swipe down at tear at the Silverwing's face, Angel raised her hand up in defense and the ring around her finger began to glow bright green.

Spirals of green light swirled around Angel's hand and formed a silver and green sword. Phoenix, who was attacking so fast she didn't even see what happened, hit the sword with her claws and shrieked in pain when the blade slit her hand open.

As blood spilled onto Angel's shirt, the Silverwing kneed Phoenix in the stomach and slid out from under the Vampyrum. "Eric!" she called out.

Eric didn't even have time to look behind him. Fighting one on one with a raccoon servant, he lunged forward, preparing to punch him in the stomach. The ring around his finger began to glow and before he knew it, Eric's sword had formed and the blade went straight through the servant, killing him instantly.

Eric's jaw dropped as he pulled out the bloody blade. "This is fucked…"

Rosiel slid over to his master and grabbed Luxor by the arm, lifting him to his feet. "Sir, they have weapons now, we have to go!" Luxor looked forlornly at Rosiel, nodding slowly and summoning up his power.

All the servants in the chamber began to form purple auras around their bodies and in a split second, all of them were gone.

All the servants looked at each other in confusion, trying to figure out how they had made it back to the hideout.

"What in the name of Zotz just happened?" Phoenix barked at Goth as she held her bloody hand. "I'm not entirely sure," Goth replied, looking at Luxor.

Luxor had fallen back to his knees, his thick black hair covered his eyes and he was silent. A human man walked up to him slowly, holding out his hand to the Priest. "Sir, are you alright?"

Luxor snapped his head up, his ruby red eyes almost glowing with anger, concentrating on the man standing before him. The human began to clutch his head and scream in agony, dropping to his knees as his head swelled up and exploded.

As the blood dripped from the ceiling and walls every stood in complete shock, their mouths ajar. Luxor stood up onto his feet, chuckling softly to himself, then growing louder until it was a maniacal laughter that made everyone's skin crawl.

"SO HELP ME ZOTZ! ERIC VAMPYRUM'S HEART WILL BE THE FIRST I TAKE ON THE STONE!"

Torch shifted over to the back of the chamber where Shade had been sitting, watching intently as the battle went on. "Hey, you ok buddy?" The Brightwing asked the hero. Shade looked up at Torch, and then turned to the others, and at the top of his lungs he shouted.

"WHERE THE FUCK AM I?"


	14. Eric's madness part 1

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

ERIC'S MADNESS

Warning: This chapter contains bits of coconut

Shade still didn't quite believe it. Even after hours upon hours of explaining, he still couldn't believe that he was alive, and in this situation. Now it was late, the sky had become pitch black like Nocturna's wings had spread themselves over the horizon.

Torch had already built a ranging fire and set up a couple of tents. "We're camping for the night, too late to go back to the magic shop Greg." Gregory nodded, adding another hunk of dried wood to the fire. He human looked at Shade with a huge smile. "Don't worry Shade, tomorrow my father can open up a portal for you to return home."

"Thanks…" Shade mumbled. He still didn't exactly trust humans. Angel shifted closer to the hero, slightly sinking into the snow. "Your family will be really happy to see you, I should know." Shade scratched his left cheek and examined Angel closely. "You look familiar…are you Fayt's sister?" Angel's happiness was short lived as she brought her knees to her chest and looked down at the snow. "Yeah, but he went missing a few weeks ago."

Shade frowned. "I'm sorry about that…I hope you find him."

"Thanks," Angel said with a crooked smile.

An annoyed cough caused the two Silverwings to look up at Eric, who looked down at Angel angrily. Looking at Eric's anger send shivers down Shade's spine, strangely enough, this bat reminded him so much of Goth. "You should get some rest Angel, you must be tired after all that flirting." Eric said mockingly.

Shade blinked with surprise as Angel stood up, baring her teeth, her eyes dancing with anger. "What the hell is wrong with you? He has a family asshole, and I wasn't flirting!"

"What the hell DO you call it then?' Eric snapped, his ears flattening in anger as he bent his neck down to eye level with Angel. Angel's eyes narrowed. "I call it being friendly; maybe you should try it sometime."

Torch winced as the two fought, and whispered to Hercules. "This is going to get really ugly, should we do something?" Hercules shrugged. "I really don't know…if it gets too far we'll stop them."

"I was friendly ten miles back!" The Vampyrum roared.

"Bullshit!" Angel retorted. "Even if I WAS flirting with him, what do you care?" Eric had no reply to this, his mouth hung open as if the words were caught in his throat. Angel laughed harshly. "The big bad Vampyrum has nothing to say? No explanations for his idiotic arguments?"

Shade couldn't take anymore of this fighting and stood up. "Ok, ok, calm down you two." He slowly walked up to Eric. "Look, she wasn't flirting with me, and as she said I have a family so it's ok. You two don't need to be arguing."

Eric stood back up to his full height and looked at Shade strangely. "What…is your name again?"

"Shade Silverwing…why?"

Eric's pupils suddenly shrunk and he looked like he had just been punched in the chest. "You…" he whispered, then with more force. "YOU!" His claws extended and his bared his glistening fangs in such anger it made Shade want to dive for cover. The Vampyrum's ears folded completely back, his fur spiked on end, hot saliva foamed and pooled down Eric's gums, lips and chin. And his eyes now seemed totally alien to Angel. They were glazed over with hatred and viciousness, like he had become an entirely different person.

"YOU DROPPED THE BOMB ON THE PYRAMID!" Eric roared. "YOU KILLED MY COLONY, MY FAMILY! EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING I EVER LOVED IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Without warning Eric leaped onto the Silverwing; biting and tearing through his clothes to get at his flesh. Shade had become paralyzed with fear, images of Goth running through his mind like a twisted film until he felt Eric's claws pierce his chest and kneed the Vampyrum in the chest to get him off.

Before Shade could stand up, Eric ripped the Silverwing back by the shirt collar and slammed him into the snow, pinning Shade down and beginning to strangle him. In a flash Hercules and Torch were on Eric, desperately trying to pry him off Shade. When they had managed to pull the Vampyrum to his feet, Eric broke free, kicking Torch in the crotch and Hercules in the chest. "I'LL KILL THE SON OF A BITCH! I'LL TEAR OUT HIS FUCKING HEART!"

Angel hugged onto Eric's arm before he could jump onto Shade again, trying to make herself heavier so he couldn't move. "Stop it Eric!" She shouted through her tears. "Do you even hear yourself? STOP IT!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" In a grey blur, Eric's claws swiped across Angel's face. Skin and blood splattered onto the snow like paint and she fell onto her back holding her face in agony.

Eric's chest rose and fell as he looked at his injured companion. Trying to piece together what exactly happened in the last few seconds. He looked at his bloody claws in disbelief; shreds of fur and skin curled under his talons. _ Angel's blood _he thought in terror. _Angel's flesh…_He curled his hand into a fist and shut his eyes tight. _What have I done?! _

Angel rose up on her elbows and turned her head to Eric. Her eyes wide with fear and pain as her tears slid down into the five deep claw marks on her cheeks. Eric opened his eyes and bit his lip trying to think of a way to make this better. "Angel…" he said softly. "I…I didn't…" but he couldn't piece together his words.


	15. Reconsilliation

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 15

RECONSILIATION

_Warning: This chapter contains; super lovey doveyness, innuendo and shreds of coconut_

"Are you sure you don't want me to stitch those up?" Hercules asked Angel as he filled up an ice pack full of snow and gave it to Torch. Angel shook her head, wincing in pain from the cold across her open flesh. The great horned owl sighed and went back to cleaning Shade's wounds with rubbing alcohol.

"_Soooo_ much better." Torch said after putting the ice pack on his crotch. The Brightwing looked over his shoulder to see if Nyoko and Andromeda were alright, but saw they were fast asleep in the snow. Torch smiled to himself and stood up in agony. "I'm going to put these two in one of the tents," he grunted.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Shade asked, "you got kicked pretty hard…"

Torch nodded. "Yeah I'll be fine. I think I'll hit the sack too." Just as the Brightwing bent over to pick up the sleeping newborns, his face twisted up and he sat back down into fluffy snow. "Umm…Angel?" He wheezed.

The Silverwing laughed and picked the two children up. "No problem." She walked a few feet over to one of the tents Torch had set up and crawled through it. Inside were two sleeping bag, both zipped open. Carefully she laid the two pups down and zipped up their sleeping bags so they wouldn't get cold. Just as she was about to leave, Andromeda sat up.

"Angel? Does your face still hurt?" The little one asked. "Yeah," Angel replied. "But don't you worry about it, it will go away soon." Andromeda frowned and pulled the sleeping bag up to his neck. "Please talk to Eric."

Angel blinked in surprise. Normally Andromeda would've told her not to give Eric the time of day, but now his voice was filled with sorrow and concern. "Please talk to Eric." He said again. Angel sighed and nodded, she was going to do it anyways. She kissed the Brightwing on the forehead and patted his head. "Go to sleep now."

As Angel left the two children to sleep, she saw Torch struggling to get inside his own tent without hurting himself. "Angel, zip this up when I get inside will yah?"

"Sure."

When Torch had disappeared inside, she walked over and zipped up the cloth, whispering a goodnight and sitting back down beside Shade and Hercules. Shade had already been fixed up with a few stitches, which he protested against before Hercules had started. They reminded him of when the humans had stitched that explosive disk to his belly. He buttoned his shirt back up and glanced over at Angel. _I'm probably gonna kick myself for this later. _ "You're not mad at Eric are you?" The older male asked.

Angel blinked at Shade and bit her lip, not knowing how to answer the question. Shade sighed and spun himself around so that he was looking directly at her. "Look, what he did was wrong, but he did have a right to be angry," he brushed his blonde hair back out of his face. "I killed his entire colony. True, I did it to save the northerners, but that doesn't excuse me. And now, this whole thing is killing him. I saw the look his face when he scratched you, it looked like he had died inside."

Angel's cheek had begun to sear with pain. She pressed her palm onto it, trying to remember the Vampyrum's face as Shade had described. His eyes…his pale grey eyes shone with the same horror as a traumatized child's. His muscular frame had seemed to become thin and weak. She couldn't get that image out of her head.

With the image still throbbing in her memory, she gazed around the pine tree Eric was sitting under. Carefully she pieced together her words, and walked to him.

"It's getting cold, don't you want to sleep?"

Eric shrugged lazily, but said nothing. The Silverwing crouched down beside the larger male. "If you're wondering if I'm angry at you, I'm not." Eric remained silent. Angel licked her lips and tried to touch the Vampyrum's face but he shifted away. "Eric?" slowly she crawled on all fours and stopped on her knees in front of the male. "What's wrong?"

A small restrained whimper came from Eric's lips as he shuddered and bit his lower lip. Angel tilted her head to the side and cupped the Vampyrum's face in her hands to raise it to her eye level. Dark streaks from tears had imprinted themselves on Eric's cheeks, and they still continued to fall, and his once grey eyes had now become a bright blue and red. _He's crying? _Angel thought in disbelief. "Eric, why are you crying?"

"Because I promised to protect you," Eric sobbed. "And I go and slash up your beautiful face! I can't even protect you from myself."

Angel's ears drooped as she wrapped her arms around the Vampyrum's waist and buried her face into his stomach. The two laid there for a very long time until Eric grabbed Angel by the arms and pulled her back onto her knees. "Are you cold?" he asked.

The Silverwing nodded slightly and Eric rose up to his feet. He smiled dully and held out his hand. "Come on." Angel gingerly gripped onto the Vampyrum's palm and she was pulled to her feet. Before they took a step, Eric looked at her sadly and asked. "Does it still hurt?" The Silverwing replied with a small nod.

Angel had already been asleep for two hours, but Eric had been awake, staring at the ugly wounds he left on the Silverwing's cheek. He pulled his arms free from the sleeping bag and sheepishly rubbed his thumb across the claw marks. He must've pushed a little too hard because Angel woke up suddenly, wincing in pain. "Ow…" she shifted onto her back and looked up at Eric, whose cheeks turned bright red under the grey fur. "What're you doing?" she asked drowsily.

"It still hurts I guess." The Vampyrum muttered. He pushed the sleeping bag down to his waist and gripped onto Angel's chin, turning her head slightly to the side so the claw marks were in full view. The female raised her eyebrow in confusion as Eric bent his head down to her cheek. "What're you-

She was suddenly cut off the hot wetness of the Vampyrum's tongue slide up her cheek and into her wounds. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Angel sat up, pushing Eric into an upright position and glaring at him strangely. "What the hell are you doing?" The Vampyrum kneeled onto his hands and knees so he was at eyelevel with her. "Cleaning your wound, you know saliva helps wounds heal faster right?"

Angel blushed and scooted back a little. "Well yeah...but…"

"But what? You can't exactly lick it yourself right?"

_Dammit, why does he have to sound so reasonable? _Angel thought. "Ok then…" Eric once again sat up and tilted the Silverwing's chin and started licking again. With acute discomfort, Angel remembered something Eric had said when they were outside.

"_And I go and slash up your beautiful face!"_

Her discomfort rose and her cheeks flushed red. _He said I was…_ "Umm…Eric?"

"Hmn?" The Vampyrum replied.

"I…umm…nothing. Nevermind, forget it." Angel put that thought at the back of her mind and relaxed as Eric continued to lick her cheek.

"Are you _sure _you don't want me to-

Phoenix cut the doctor off by giving him a hiss and the human backed off. The much older man shook his head and said to Goth. "She won't let me fix her hand, can you do anything about that?"

"I'll handle this myself, go on now." Goth ordered. The human gave the King a light bow and headed off to clean up the body of the dead henchman. Phoenix gave Goth a death glare as he sat down beside her on the couch. Instantly ready for anything he might pull. "Give me your hand." Goth said calmly. Phoenix shook her head and snapped her jaws next to the King's head to try and scare him off, however it just made him more annoyed. "Give me your hand _now_ Phoenix."

Just as the female was about to slash Goth across the face, the King grabbed hold of her arm and pushed her onto her back, pinning her hips down with his knee. "Release me at once!" Phoenix barked. Goth chuckled softly and craned his neck down to her head. "You speak as if you had authority."

"Fuck you." Phoenix snarled as she squirmed under Goth's weight. Goth's lips twisted into a grin. "You may have been stronger than me in the underworld, but up here, I have the power." He suddenly grabbed the bottom of his shirt with a free hand and dug his claws into the fabric, slowly tearing apart the seams until he had a shred of black cloth. And as Phoenix blinked in surprise, Goth took her injured hand and wrapped the cloth tightly around it like a bandage.

When he finally let go of her hand, Goth dug his knee deeper into the female's stomach, receiving a yelp of pain. "If you ever take that bandage off before that wound heals…I'll kill you." In one graceful movement, Goth slid off of Phoenix and headed back to his room.

Angel awoke to the feel of Eric's knee slamming against her back. With a yelp of surprise she shouted. "OW! What the hell Eric?"

"Can't fucking move in here!" Eric snapped back at Angel after shifting awkwardly onto his side, holding his leg and arm in the air. "Can you move over so I get leave?"

"No," Angel replied. "I'm already as far away as I can get. If I move any further I'll knock the tent down." Eric rolled his eyes as his leg and arm started to collapse from the strain. "Fine. Lemme roll over you then."

"No, no," said Angel, rolling onto her stomach. "I'm smaller; I'll get out first so you'll have more room."

Eric cringed as his muscles sang with agony from the strain. "Angel, I need to get out now."

"Hold on a second." Said the Silverwing, raising herself onto her hands and knees.

"No, Angel-

"Just let me-

The Vampyrum fell forward onto the Silverwing's back with a loud thud, causing Angel to slam her chin into the ground and her jaws to crash together. "Dammit Eric! Get off me." She gasped. Eric grunted and arose onto his hands and knees; just enough so that his chest naval were still touching Angel's back. "That's not far enough," Angel groaned as she elbowed him gently. "Get up."

As Torch was putting back his tent in the car, his ears twitched to the sound of rustling and arguing in Angel and Eric's tent. He slammed the door shut and furrowed his brow in confusion at their tent.

"Move!"

"If I go back the tent will fall over!"

"Ow!"

"Careful what you're brushing up against!"

"What the _hell _is that?"

"Stop squirming so much!"

_Now this I gotta see _Torch thought as he tiptoed over to their tent. When he was finally close enough, the Brightwing pulled down the zipper and peered inside. To his surprise, he saw both Eric and Angel down on their hands and knees, with Eric lying just behind her. "Wow, looks like you two patched things up quite nicely." Torch said devilishly. Eric and Angel spun their heads around, their mouths hung open in shock and their cheeks flushed a bright red.

Torch's lips curved into a smile. "So…should I leave you two alone?"

Hercules was just about to take a sip from his canteen, when he heard a loud smack and saw Torch being thrown into the middle of the clearing.


End file.
